The hot and the cold are both so intense
by ArtemisApollo97
Summary: *LEO'S SETTLED DOWN REWRITE* They all warned him she would 'squash him like a bug', 'kill him without a second thought', 'skin/bury him alive'. He didn't pay any attention to these warnings, trying to work up the courage to talk to the daughter of Poseidon.
1. Prologue

**Here is the first chapter to the Leo's Settled Down rewrite. You lot have been asking for it for a while and I've found the book I started writing it in. If it's terrible, I do apologise, but I wrote this FOREVER ago :P **

**I do not own Percy Jackson and co, but Louisa, the Jackson children and several others I'm too lazy to name at the moment are mine.**

* * *

Annabeth stepped over the triplets, the Little Twins and their toys and collapsed on the sofa next to her husband. Percy smiled at her, his arm looping about her shoulders.

"Why are there so many kids?" She sighed.

"Most of them are yours." Tobias piped up. He was sitting upside down in the armchair, his feet propped up on the top of it. "Those two are mine." He smiled, pointing at the Little Twins. "Yours," He pointed at Theo, "Yours, yours," He gestured at the other two triplets, "and also yours." He waved at himself, grinning cheekily.

"Sit. Up." Annabeth ordered, trying not to smile.

"No. I'm comfortable." Tobias folded his arms stubbornly. "Don't look at me like that." He told his mother, doing his best not to falter under that demanding glare.

"Tobias, I'd do what she tells you." Tobias looked up and saw Poseidon leaning on the back of his seat.

"I have a god at my feet." He smiled. "That's new."

"Don't get used to it." Poseidon flicked his grandson's feet away. "Get up or your mother will kill you with a frying pan."

"Well, that's not surprising." But Tobias sat up anyway, resting his legs over the arm of the chair. Annabeth shook her head at him, curling up to Percy. "Hey, Poseidon. You're a god."

"Well done." Poseidon studied the legacy in hilarity, eyebrows raised expectantly.

"Answer Mom's question." Tobias paused. "Are they raising an army?"

"I don't think so." The god looked at his son and daughter-in-law. "The, um, amount of children is my fault, I suppose." He glanced around carefully. "The sea brings forth life. Most of the time." Percy looked as uneasy as his father. Tobias was pulling faces at his feet, much to the amusement of the triplets and the Little Twins, but his parents could tell he was listening.

"Dad…" Percy started, frowning and piecing his question together judiciously in his mind. He searched his homely surroundings again, worry etched in his sea green eyes. "What about Lou?" Poseidon sighed, his shoulders slouching.

"That is partially my fault and partially Luke's fault." He massaged the back of his neck awkwardly. "Any twins of mine, as you know, will represent the two sides of the sea. One shall characterise the calm, peaceful and friendly side of the ocean, nourishing and plentiful. The other… will be the stormy, hazardous and destructive side. Louisa isn't so bad-" Tobias made a funny noise in protest, sending the young children into giggles. Poseidon continued as though his eldest grandchild hadn't interrupted, "but her temper can trigger certain powers- the hurricanes, the storms, the earthquakes. I'm sure you've noticed." Percy and Annabeth nodded. "Those powers, that energy- it flows through her veins and it's dangerous- hence her temper and violent streak, but also her endurance. There is no stopping a raging sea."

"Unless you a Valdez." Tobias cut in. "Leo is, like, the master in calming her down."

"He does live with her." Percy pointed out. "Now, shush." Tobias made a face, but stayed quiet as Poseidon reluctantly finished explaining.

"And Luke's fault- obvious reasons Louisa wouldn't want me sharing in detail." Percy grimaced, irritably clenching his fists. Annabeth rested a hand on his arm. Even now, all these years later, the mere thought of what Luke had done to his sister enraged him. They knew how Luke had gotten Louisa pregnant, a boy, but the stress and trauma took its toll and she had regrettably lost the baby. Any boy, beside Charlie- a miracle in her eyes- she had miscarried or had stillborn.

There was a thud outside. Percy jumped up, pulling Riptide from his pocket. He moved to the front door as quickly and as quietly as he could. He didn't find anything or anybody outside, just a broken flowerpot on the step below the one it was normally on. Dirt and a squash plant littered the stairs, a trainer imprint scuffed on the bottom step. Percy glanced around, but he couldn't see anybody running away or looking back anxiously.

* * *

Leo pulled up outside the block of apartments he lived in, surprised to find his wife sulking on the front steps. Charlie, their three year old son, was curled up in her lap, peacefully asleep against her shoulder.

He parked and got out, pressing the button on his key to lock his car.

"Lou? Chica, what's the matter?" He sat next to her, putting his arm gently about her shoulders. She didn't give an immediate response, prompting Leo into pulling her hands away from concealing her face. He was doubly shocked to see tears in her angry eyes. "What's happened? Do I need to burn anyone?" She shook her head, looking down at their son. Charlie looked so angelic asleep, but this was unbelievably contradictive to how he was when he was awake. Mini-Leo just about covered it.

She ran a hand through her son's hair, smiling sadly as he gave a content sigh and shifted to get comfortable. Leo took her hand in both of his. "Talk to me, chica." He pleaded.

Sighing, she told him what she had overheard her father telling her brother. Leo was a good listener, he didn't interrupt once.

"It's not your fault." He insisted once she had finished. She didn't look convinced, frowning and looking back at her son's sleeping form. "Don't blame yourself." Leo wrapped his arms around her, holding her as close as he could without disturbing Charlie. "I don't blame you." Louisa looked at him, stubbornly wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

Leo had first met Louisa when she had tried to kill Jason. He didn't help his friend, overwhelmed by this beautiful stranger's fierce and violent temper and her skill as she nearly murdered Jason several times in their short brawl.

They all warned him she would 'squash him like a bug', 'kill him without a second thought', 'skin/bury him alive'. He didn't pay any attention to these warnings, trying to work up the courage to talk to the daughter of Poseidon.

It was a long haul, but now look. Not only had he charmed his way into winning her heart, but he had also married her and had three children with her.

If he added up his points, that was enough to show all those demigods that had doubted he could do it how well the Valdez charm worked.

* * *

**I might have more chapters written somewhere. I can't remember. I'll have a look, but anyway, any chapters after this will be ones running up to this one- so from when they were just friends to Charlie. Hopefully. Anyway, it won't be as long as the other one :P **


	2. A very strange first encounter

**All chapters from this point on are Leo meeting Lou up to Charlie.**

* * *

"Is Lou here yet? We need to get this flipping meeting started!"

"Annabeth, chill." Piper soothed. "Who's Lou anyway?"

"I'm Lo- 'n' I'm goin'." Leo had only caught a brief glimpse of Louisa- thick, curly raven hair pulled into a high ponytail, evenly tanned skin and glittering sea green eyes. She wore casual clothes under her armour, her helmet with the red plume under her arm, a sword and an array of knives in her belt with her quiver and bow swung over her back. She hadn't even crossed the threshold of the meeting room before swivelling on her heel and walking back out.

"Louisa!" Annabeth ordered, getting up and storming after her friend.

"No!" Jason was frowning, as if he recognised something. His memories were coming back, just bits at a time. "Why didn't ya say he was there?!"

"Who?"

"Bloody- ugh!"

"Lou, you're not making sense."

"Ya didn't say anythin' 'bout new demigods!"

"You didn't ask!"

"Jason Grace, son of Jupiter, praetor of the Twelfth Legion and Camp Jupiter."

"Lou?" Jason rose to his feet.

"NO!" Jason looked at Chiron.

"Louisa Smith?" He asked.

"Louisa Smith-Jackson, but yes, the same." Chiron looked at him curiously. "Why? Do you know her?"

"She's the world biggest pain in the ass."

"Ooh, I like her already." Jason looked at Leo as if he were crazy.

"She would skin you alive."

"Nice to know you have confidence in me." Leo muttered, pretending to sulk. He and Piper- who appeared to be genuinely sulking- followed Jason out. They caught a glimpse of Annabeth running out of the Big House, shouting after Louisa, who was refusing to do anything helpful. "Hold on…" Leo looked at Chiron. "Smith-Jackson?"

"Later." Chiron promised. Piper and Leo looked at Chiron quizzically, but he didn't elaborate, watching Louisa shout at Annabeth and Jason and anyone watching, but not in English. It wasn't Ancient Greek either, but… Latin.

Leo didn't understand Latin. He wasn't really focusing on that, focusing on Louisa instead. She had drawn her sword, her helmet discarded a few feet from her. She was glaring at Jason, as if her brother's disappearance was his fault.

"Lou, put the sword down." Jason took careful steps towards Louisa, taking his coin from his pocket.

"I _knew_ you were trouble, but did ya listen?"

"Um…"

"I told ya 'n' ya didn't listen! No-one listens to me!"

"Mainly because you're a raving, blood-thirsty lunatic demigod who needs a strait jacket and pronto." Louisa turned her glare on Annabeth and Leo could see the raw power in those sea green eyes. Daughter of Poseidon indeed…

Annabeth shrugged. "Lou, we do listen. Sometimes." She added quickly. "But it wasn't Jason's fault. It was-"

Louisa didn't care whose fault it was, Leo saw. She just charged Jason, swinging her sword wildly and nearly decapitating him. He flipped his coin and gained his sword and was just managing to defend himself while she seemed intent on slicing him to shreds.

Beautiful, annoying, smart and violent… Leo liked her more and more by the second.

Jason deflected yet another swipe at his throat. He had known Louisa for years and the more he fought with her, the more his memories involving her came back. He remembered her temper, her stubbornness and her violent streak- and right now, all of that was nearly getting him killed.

"Chiron, do something!" Piper squeaked. "Guys, stop it!" She layered on with the charmspeak. Jason faltered, but Louisa gritted her teeth and seemed unaffected.

"She doesn't respond to charmspeak." Chiron told her.

"What? Why?" Piper despaired. Chiron shrugged.

"Louisa is… different, even by demigod standards."

"Lou, don't kill him! He can help us find Percy!" Louisa froze, like somebody had thrown a switch. The tip of her sword was just touching Jason's throat. Annabeth looked relieved, running her hands through her hair and sighing. Jason rubbed at his throat, looking annoyed, but with a layer of relief beneath it.

Poseidon's daughter turned away, leaving. Jason lowered his sword. The second his defences were down, she whirled round and cracked him across the jaw.

Leo huffed. She was yet another girl out his league.

Chiron wheeled forward and ordered Louisa to her cabin. She protested- of course- but Chiron won eventually.

"Are you alright?" He asked Jason once Louisa had stomped off.

"I forgot she hit that hard." Jason mumbled, massaging his jaw. A bruise was starting to show already. Piper looked ready to go after Louisa herself, but Annabeth seemed to have an idea that kept her in place.

"Leo, you go after her."

"Wait, _what_? She'll kill me!"

"No, she doesn't know you. And besides- if you tell her you're building the Argo II, she'll go easy on you." Annabeth's expression softened. "She won't admit it, but she misses her brother."

"OK." Leo sighed.

"I thought you loved danger."

"I'd marry it if I could." Leo agreed sarcastically. "Which one's the Poseidon cabin?" Annabeth pointed. "Oh, I like that one. Very nice." He jogged off after her, passing various campers who were all whispering to each other and casting wary glances after Poseidon's daughter. Storm clouds were progressively moving to loom over the camp. Leo hoped the magic boundaries kept the rain out.

He knocked smartly on the door. "Do you wanna build a snowman?" He sang.

"Who's that?" Louisa called.

"Leo." There was silence for a moment. "Santa's escaped elf."

"Oh." Leo was amazed that she had understood that. "What'd ya want?"

"Well, for starters, hi. Second, please don't kill me. And third, Annabeth sent me." The door opened then. Leo saw he was taller than her by a couple of inches and this instantly made him feel better about himself.

Then he remembered how quickly that bruise had formed on Jason's jaw. That was one heck of a whack.

"Well?" She demanded, crossing her arms and leaning against the door frame, as though she had better things to do. Being as awesome as she was, Leo thought she obviously did have better things to do than talk to him, a lowly engineer.

"Annabeth told me to tell you that we're building the Argo II."

"The what?"

"Argo II."

"Ain't that a big boat thing?"

"Yeah. We're building it and we're hopefully going to go to the other camp and get your brother back." Her anger subsided a bit then, replaced with curiosity. "Do you want to have a look? It's not finished yet, but should be soon."

"OK."

"But promise not to hit me?" She frowned. "I actually think you've knocked some sense into Jason back there." He grinned.

"'Bout time someone did." She muttered, but there was a small smile on her lips. Leo decided that was a good thing.

* * *

**Hope this is OK and that the next few chapters will be a bit better. I'm still trying to find out if I've got pre-written chapters somewhere :P **


	3. Fire and water works

**To Guest 1- Well then, I hope this works out really well, if you're so happy about it :D **

**To Guest 2- Does it really have to be as long as the other one? That one took **_**AGES**_**! And the wrath of you sounds absolutely terrifying ;) **

**To Guest 3- I can't remember if I ever gave Lou a birthmark, but this thing about something being under her left eye- you might be thinking of Lucy-Jo, 'cos- if I remember right- she has a scar running from under her left eye to her jaw line, I think :P**

* * *

Surprising to the others, Leo and Louisa quickly became good friends and ended up giving the Stoll brothers a run for their money. Leo also became one of the seven people who had some restraint over her- him, Annabeth, Chiron (those two to a certain extent), Dylan, Connor, Mikey and- the best at restraining Louisa- Jessica.

"Are you going to the fireworks?" Leo asked. They were in Bunker 9 and she was watching him carefully, making sure he stayed on the enforced lunch break before he carried on with the Argo II.

"Maybe." She replied, looking away and picking up a ratchet. She smacked it against the palm of her hand, looking deadly serious all of a sudden. Leo figured she was planning to clobber someone- most likely him, as he was there- just because she could and just because she had found a new 'weapon'.

"Burning marshmallows will make great weapons." Leo smiled, trying to keep his nervousness from his voice. Louisa gave a lopsided, devilish smile, as though planning to bash him around the head with it.

"I suppose so. Chiron's put me on some probation warnin' thing though 'n' if I cause trouble- now why would I do that?- I'm gonna get banned from camp for a week." She said gruffly, mimicking their mentor.

"Isn't that a bit dangerous? I mean, you're a Big Three child." He paused. "And you're _you_." She gave him a questioning look, almost daring him to go on. "You'll get in loads of monster-y trouble just because you can and because you stink."

"Ain't you charmin'?" He grinned.

"But seriously- you _smell_." She lobbed the ratchet at him and, had it not been for his severe ADHD, he would have been clobbered. "Anyway- _please_ go to the fireworks."

"Why should I?"

"'Cos."

"You just said I smell!"

"You didn't deny it!"

"We're demigods! We _all_ stink!"

"You especially." She glowered at him briefly, looking around for another 'weapon'. Leo decided to save himself before she could. "It's just that Jason and Piper will be going together and I _hate_ third-wheeling. Annabeth's working and I'm not allowed near the fireworks." He tried to make himself sound as upset about being 'all so alone' at the fireworks, hoping against hope that there was some tiny, itty-bitty, miniscule grain of sympathy in her _somewhere_.

"You big baby." He snorted, his pleading façade slipping away.

"_Pleeeasssee_ come to the fireworks."

"Why?"

"Because I'll get bored!"

"Daaaw, poor ickle bubba Leo."

"Bubba Leo vewy upset now." She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. Leo deemed he was safe now.

And she went to the fireworks with him too! Leo would have to drag out 'Bubba Leo' more often.

* * *

After the romantic-judo-flipping Percabeth reunion and then the violent-stab-your-brother-while-calling-him-every-name-possible twin reunion, Leo appointed Louisa first-mate of the Argo II. Mainly because he had accidently destroyed New Rome and if anyone was going to keep him on the straight and narrow, Louisa would.

The only problem with that was that she _insisted_ she flew or sailed the ship.

"Annabeth's going to kill me." Leo told her, handing over the Wii remote.

"Just blame Frank."

"I was going to say blame Coach."

"Nah, he's got a baseball bat."

"Scared of Coach?" Leo teased. She fixed with such a withering look, Leo was half-tempted to run for cover, but also half-tempted to lock Louisa and Coach in a room and encourage a one-on-one Hunger Games.

The others all crowded in at the moment. None of them looked overly happy.

"You're driving into a storm." Piper pointed out. Leo turned and saw that she was right. That giant, purpling storm cloud blocking his vision hadn't been there a few seconds ago.

"That wasn't me." Louisa claimed.

"Oh sure." Percy said sarcastically.

"It could have been you." Louisa argued logically.

"Twins, behave." Annabeth warned. "Can we not go around it?"

"It'll be a day at the least of a detour." Leo said. He glanced at the Poseidon twins. "Anything you can do?"

"We can try." The twins fell silent, concentrating. Everyone else was quiet, careful not to distract the twins. Instead, they all focused on the storm.

Percy spun on the spot after a few minutes and stumbled away, dizzy.

"Tried." He mumbled.

"Git." Louisa growled. She looked back at the storm and tried to will it to go away again, but her knees buckled in exhaustion. Leo caught her. "I'm OK."

"Sorry." Percy said. "Not working."

"That's OK. At least you tried." Annabeth assured. "Coach, start a detour around it. We'll take the twins to their rooms." Coach Hedge grunted in reply.

"Don't wanna…" Louisa tried to pull away from Leo, not wanting her naptime, but she nearly fell over from lack of energy. Leo managed to catch her again and she reluctantly let him support her back to her room.

* * *

Leo was steering the ship that night. Festus was keeping an eye out for danger with his night vision.

Picking up a Wii remote, Leo adjusted the sails. Something flittering caught his attention from the corner of his eye. Looking round, he saw a line of photos he had strung up, the centre one catching his eye stronger than the others.

Leo sighed, feeling emotions welling up in his chest.

His missed his _madre_. He would do anything to have her back or just simply apologize to her, hoping she didn't abandon him like the rest of his family.

He closed his eyes to try and regain control of himself, but that only opened the flood gates.

* * *

Louisa walked in to find Leo an emotional heap on the floor. She hurried forward and put her hand on his shoulder. He tensed, looking around in fear and shock.

"What's the matter?" She asked.

"Nothing." Leo mumbled, stubbornly wiping his eyes and looking away. Louisa noticed a photo in his hand, recognising it as his mother. She rubbed his back to comfort him before holding him in a hug. Leo remained tense for a short moment before relaxing in her arms, resting his head on her shoulder. "I feel so guilty." He admitted quietly, feeling his tears pooling again.

"What for?" Leo hesitated. Would Louisa freak out when she heard about his mother's death? She was his best and most trusted friend; he was closer to her than Jason and Piper, who claimed to be his best friends, but they hadn't crawled out of their warm beds to come and check on him in the middle of the night.

Leo found himself telling her everything. If she was shocked or disgusted, she didn't show it; her expression showed she was mostly concerned for him.

About ten minutes later, Leo fell silent. He didn't hold her gaze for long, hiding his face in her shoulder as sobs wracked his body. All those bottled up emotions had boiled to the surface.

He felt her hand in his hair and her arm tightened around his shoulders. She didn't say anything, simply holding him until he tired himself out.

"Here." Louisa pressed a tissue in his hand.

"Bit late for that." Leo forced a weak smile.

"Hey, waterproof, remember?" She gave a kind smile. "Tears included." He sat up, wiping his eyes.

"I feel so stupid."

"If ya ever feel stupid, remember that some Roman general whose name escapes me at the mo… he declared a war on Dad 'n' marched his army down ta the beach 'n' told 'em ta stab the water." Leo burst out laughing and she grinned.

"OK, that is pretty stupid." He smiled. "Oh gods, I bet I'm a right mess."

"I thought a Valdez could pull off any look?"

"You said I couldn't pull off any look if I was paid too."

"Don't contradict me, that's my job!"

"It's your job to contradict you?" She smacked his arm then, split between hitting him again and smiling. Leo thought she looked cute like that, but dare he say that out loud?

_She just drew a knife._

No. No he didn't.

* * *

**I have a new one-shot up! Not sure how many people have seen it, but it's called 'A Very Busy One-Shot'. Be warned, it's **_**very**_** long. Like, 21 Word Document pages long :P **

**Also, I was thinking- some of the earlier chapters of Leo's Settled Down are relatively OK. If I were to go over those, would you guys mind if I included them in this version? **


	4. Here's to hoping and destroying

**To Guest- Awesome! As for the bit where Leo got kidnapped- I'll seriously have to think on that, because those were mostly random chapters, if I remember right… but I will do my best! :D**

* * *

Throughout the entire five years of their friendship, Leo thought the best moment- well, aside from _all _of them being best moments- the breadwinner was the time Louisa fell out of a tree.

Not that he took some sick and twisted pleasure from her falling from a tree and smacking her head. It was the bit afterwards.

They- the Seven, Louisa and Nico- had been chilling in the woods. The Romans were on one of their little visits, which was fine with most of the Greeks- skirmishes were inevitable.

"Lou, get down."

"No!"

"You won't win." Jason grinned. It was Louisa versus Nico in climbing a tree. Why? No idea. Nico had the advantage of being smaller and lighter, but Louisa had been climbing trees ever since she was small. _Why_ she fell, Leo wasn't sure. From what he could see, she was the master of climbing, jumping and swinging from branch to branch as though she could fly. Nico wasn't as graceful, but he was fast.

Jason had, before the challenge, flown up and tied a red flag to the very top of the tree. Whoever got it and reached the ground first won. The loser had to do the winner's chores for a month. Even the wood nymph of the tree had stopped complaining to watch the competition. Pesky demigods were in her tree, but they were _Big Three_ pesky demigods.

Louisa gripped a knot on the tree and pulled herself up. Nico was a couple of feet below her, scrabbling for purchase.

"Be careful!" Percy called up.

"Screw that!" Louisa retorted. Nico snorted in laughter. "Point to me." She grinned victoriously at him.

"Is not!"

"Every time I make you laugh or smile, it's a point ta me."

"In your dreams, Lou."

"I'd be having plenty of those while ya do my chores." She sprung off her branch and ripped the cloth free. Nico grabbed for it, but she was gone, dropping lightly from branch to branch.

She was twenty feet up, Nico hurrying after her as best he could without falling and breaking his neck.

"Lou!" He protested. She paused to smirk at him. Upon reflection, that was probably what had cost her.

She slipped on something- moss maybe- and went straight down, crashing into every branch on the way down.

Percy, Jason and Leo rushed to catch her, but they moved seconds too late. She hit the ground, her arm beneath her and her head cracking on a thick root.

"Lou!" Percy was there first, fussing over her. Blood was pouring from a gash on her head and she had paled to a funny green-grey colour. Her brother tried to feed her some ambrosia, but he couldn't get her to eat it. When he tried to move her, she hit him-weakly- away with her good arm, complaining that she didn't need- _want_-any help.

Nico dropped effortlessly to the ground.

"Oh gods…" He seemed paler than usual. "I'm so sorry…"

"'M fine…" Louisa muttered, her features twisting in effort and turning greener as she pushed herself up with her good arm, her other arm held gingerly to her chest. "See? Fine."

"Not fine." Frank countered, looking as sickly as she.

"Apollo cabin." Percy decided, mumbling to himself. To the others, "We've got to get her to the Apollo cabin."

"I'll take her." Leo offered. Before Percy could protest, Leo had wormed his way to Louisa's side and put her good arm about his shoulders and his gingerly about her waist- she could rip that off in a second if she so wanted. "Come on, Lou."

"'M _fine_." She repeated, attempting to pull away. Leo held onto her and she frowned at him. For a moment, he feared she would break his arms too. Instead, "Two Leo's. That's worryin'." She swayed and then giggled- a very un-Louisa thing. "You look like an elf…" She seemed to collapse against Leo, still giggling weakly.

"Let me take her."

"I've got her now."

"Percy, Leo's not going to hurt her. And we're wasting time." Annabeth added quickly and firmly at the start of her boyfriend's protest. "Leo, get going." Leo nodded, knowing better than to argue against Annabeth.

He reached the Apollo cabin within minutes, practically having to carry his best friend. She kept tugging on his curls and mumbling incoherently to herself. Whatever she was wittering on about, she found highly amusing.

"Wha-?" Will stared in bewilderment as Leo trudged in, his arm around Louisa. Then he noticed her injuries. "What did she do now?"

"Fell out of a tree."

"See him," Louisa told Will, her eyes fixed on Leo. "He's an elf… Elves are funny…Santa's elves…"

"Man, she must have whacked her head big time." He motioned for Leo to set Louisa on one of the bunks.

"Stop denying the Valdez charm." Leo insisted. He tried to get Louisa to lie on the aforementioned bunk, but she had her good arm about his neck and wouldn't let go. "Lou, Will's going to help you, just-"

"Nope. No, don't want to." Leo was pretty sure she was going to strangle him, but he eventually managed to prise her arm away. She started to protest instantly, sitting up only to jolt her injured arm.

Will worked quickly, Leo holding onto her free arm so she didn't hit anybody. Percy turned up at some point and she recognised him through her delirium.

"Mean elf!" She snatched her arm away from Leo, jolting her other one. She half-groaned and half-whimpered in pain.

"Lou, that's Leo."

"Where's Leo?" She turned back to look at her brother imploringly, her eyes glassy, but intrigued. Leo's heart felt like it was doing jumping jacks.

"He's there, see?" Percy pointed and Louisa's eyes found Leo's.

"Oh! Hello!"

"Hello."

"Did you get rid of the mean elf?"

"Um…" Leo looked at Percy, who nodded. "Yes. He's gone now." She beamed at him and he swore his heart was on the verge of exploding. _Louisa_ wanted _him_ there. "Just sit still so Will can fix your arm."

"My arm's fine." She waved her hand in his face.

"No, your other arm."

"It's fine. Head hurts though." She paused, frowning at the bunk above her. "Potato!" She declared happily. Will grumbled to himself and shooed Leo away. "Leo? Where'd you go? _Leo_!"

"Still here!" Leo assured.

"Percy?"

"Here too."

"Too far." She pushed Will away and then smiled at her brother and Leo. "There! See you better now!"

"She's lost it." Percy muttered, keeping his smile in place and barely moving his lips.

"She never had it in the first place." Leo replied, trying to remain as motionless as possible. Percy's smile broadened slightly and he gave a small nod in agreement.

* * *

Half an hour later, Will had succeeded in getting Louisa on the road to recovery. Her arm would have to be in a sling for a few days and Percy was to monitor how much ambrosia she ingested. Her head wound had healed well, but she remembered very few fragments of her delirium.

"Somethin' about elves 'n' potatoes…" She mused, tapping her fingers on her chin thoughtfully. "I'm goin' mad."

"I thought you were already." Leo smiled. She smacked him in the chest, staggering him a couple of steps.

"Only I can say I'm mad."

"Percy says you're mad all the time."

"Well of course I do. I _am _her brother."

"'N' ya've gotta put up with brothers." She sighed, as if brothers signalled the end of the world. "I've got a bone ta pick with Dad."

"What now?" Percy asked warily. She sent him a quick glare, but whatever was on her mind didn't credit him a full glower.

"Well, there are all these sons of Poseidon 'n' that, but where are the daughters? Am I on my soddin' lonesome?" Percy looked puzzled, so Leo decided it was best not to answer. Besides, if he voiced what was on his mind, she would rip his head from his shoulders for sure; _Even if there were a million other daughters of Poseidon out there, none of them would be as amazing as you._

* * *

Five years passed. Leo always looked back on those five years fondly, sharing the best of friendships with Louisa. She was his chica from the very start; she just didn't know it at the point.

In those five years, Percy and Annabeth married and had one son- Tobias. Piper was _furious_. Five years was plenty of time for lots of little Percabeth babies! But she doted on Tobias- they all did. He was absolutely adorable. So adorable, even, that _Louisa_ developed a bit of a soft spot for him.

Leo and Louisa always babysat the infant together whenever Percy and Annabeth had a class or went out for a date. They were a pretty good team, except for the few times she caught him staring at her dreamily.

"What're ya lookin' at?"

"You."

"Why?"

"Well, I can't really appreciate my own good looks, can I? Can't see myself." She frowned at him. Leo smiled casually, his heart pounding in his ears- _I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead_…

But she decided to ignore him and his idiocy, looking back at her five month old nephew. Leo mentally sighed in relief and vowed to himself to be a bit more discreet when daydreaming from that point on.

He just couldn't help himself.

As much as she said she was terrible with kids and that she didn't want any, Leo couldn't help it when his mind started to pretend that Tobias was theirs. Or that this was some form of alternate universe where she wasn't so stubborn and admitted her obvious feelings for him- here's to hoping- and agreed to be his chica for life. In that daydream, there wasn't just the one baby, but several Valdez babies running around.

Yeah. Here's to hoping.

Then she went on that accursed holiday.

It was the Percabeth honeymoon, but because of the twins' strange connection mojo, Louisa had to go too. Leo would have gone, but he had to stay and help run the camp and couldn't pay for his own ticket, even when he went half and half with Percy.

It was the most boring two weeks of Leo's life.

Whenever he worked in Bunker 9 or the forges, Louisa had always been around somewhere, bringing him food or coffee. She would then proceed to sit on the workbench and they would talk about whatever came to their minds. Well, whatever came to _her_ mind. If Leo voice his thoughts- Louisa Valdez, Valdez babies, etc.- he would be dead _for sure_.

She would hand him tools, they would insult people, she would steal his food, they would insult more people… those hours in the workshops with her were the best.

Now he had two weeks on his own to look forward to.

Yay.

But he had time to plan without her getting suspicious.

For the past five years, he had been her secret Valentine. Percy knew- he had interrogated Leo until the truth came out. Leo figured Percy didn't mind him being with Louisa. And he only got that because he hadn't been sent packing like the last few demigods trying to brave asking Louisa out. She shunned them- they were jerks- and Percy stepped in with his 'protective big brother' instincts.

_Only the best for my sister_, Leo had heard him tell Louisa. (He had been eavesdropping outside the Poseidon cabin- not stalker-ish at all).

Obviously, Louisa had protested, but Percy had won that one. _Only the best_- Leo hoped he could qualify.

His plan was to march right up to Louisa when she got back to camp and either tell her how he felt- and had felt ever since laying eyes on her- or kiss her there and then, no matter who was watching. It all depended on how his nerves held up- that's where the third option came in: if Plans A and B failed, Plan C was to retreat to Bunker 9 until Thanatos collected him.

She could reject him- Valdez charm or no, there was always that possibility. He didn't know what he would do if she did that; fearing things would be awkward from then. He didn't want to risk losing the one thing that gave him stability, but he couldn't just stay her best friend forever.

But then she didn't come back.

He saw Percy and Annabeth trekking over the hill; Tobias a small, blue-clad figure on his father's shoulders. Leo and Piper ran to meet them, but there was no Louisa.

Leo hoped she was at Jessica's or something, but the look on Percy's face said it all.

Leo's chica was _gone_.

* * *

**OK, this was mostly a filler chapter, but my plan is to use some of the stuff from the old Leo's Settled Down and bits from Louisa's downfall rewritten (I doubt I'm going to finish that) to tie it all off in this one. So, if this chapter is schist, I'm sorry, but I'm hoping the next few chapters will be better. **


	5. She's baaaack!

**To Guest- EXCELLENT! :D **

**Most of this chapter is stolen from Louisa's downfall rewritten. I'm tying it all in, like I think I said in the last chapter somewhere…**

**Did you guys know there was a Pocahontas 2? I didn't! Not until this morning anyway.**

* * *

Leo had thought two weeks was bad.

Two _months_ was even worse.

The longer she was MIA, the more hollow and run-down he felt. It was as if someone or something had swooped in at the middle of the night and slashed out all his insides, leaving this desolate shell. Why they would do such a thing, Leo had no idea. It was crazy.

But crazy was just how things were early one day.

"Leo, get up!" Percy demanded, shaking Leo fiercely by the shoulder.

"No…" Leo groaned, swatting at Poseidon's son irritably. It was far too early for any schist today.

"Get up! We need you to go to Peleus and get whoever's sat with him!"

"I'll fix it later." Leo complained, not really listening.

"They're hurt, Leo." Hephaestus's son opened his eyes blearily and squinted at Percy.

"Who's hurt? What's going on?" He paused. "I didn't prank anyone, I swear." Percy sighed, his shoulders slouching. That was that Leo-sigh; the one where it sounded like the whole of Leo World had just been dumped on his shoulders. Leo often felt proud of making someone sigh like that, but not this time. Something was really bugging Percy and Leo World wasn't a good thing to be carrying around right now.

"Someone has fallen asleep near Peleus and Thalia's tree. No-one can get close to them without Peleus breathing fire." His eyes hardened demandingly. "So, get up and get your fireproof ass in gear."

"I need coffee." Leo said, rolling over to look at Percy. Percy sighed again.

"Fine. Just hurry up." Leo nodded and got up. Percy left, grumbling about his friend's idiocy no doubt.

* * *

Five minutes later, Leo emerged from the Hephaestus cabin fully dressed, but still waking up. Percy appeared with a steaming coffee, which brightened Leo's mood considerably. Everyone knew that he slept in until half-nine, ten at the latest and he was too lazy to get up after that.

A crowd had gathered around Peleus, keeping a safe distance from his fire. They saw Leo and slowly started to part.

"Why, thank-you, my loyal subjects." Leo smiled. Many of them rolled their eyes, but he was sure a few girls turned pink in the cheeks. Or maybe that was his hopeful imagination. He didn't get to check properly as one of the Ares lot smacked him on the shoulder- not as hard as usual, so maybe they were trying to be playful. Whatever the weather, it hurt.

Peleus glared at him. Leo stood there, one hand in his pocket while he studied the dragon casually. Leo drained his coffee and handed the mug to a nearby demigod, who looked a bit miffed to be Leo's garbage disposal.

The dragon started breathing smoke from its many heads in warning as Leo approached. Peleus's tail curled around whoever it was leaning against the dragon's side. They had a black and blue cap pulled low over their eyes, wearing black tracksuit bottoms and a navy blue, fleecy jacket zipped up to their chin. Leo could only see their hands.

Peleus breathed a stream of fire.

"Peleus, we've talked about this. You can't burn me." Peleus didn't understand and singed Leo's trousers with a burst of fire. "Hey, these are _new_. Watch it." Peleus growled at him. Leo growled back and moved around the dragon. Peleus's growl deepened threateningly, but Leo scratched Peleus's soft spot and the dragon's angry growl turned content. "Yeah, that's what I thought, you big softie." Leo looked at the figure using the dragon as a pillow. Judging by their even and slow breathing, they were asleep. "Hulloooo?" Leo said, giving them a gentle shake in an attempt to wake them up. They hit his hand away and turned away. "Rude." Percy cleared his throat from behind Leo. "Shut it, Jackson." Leo said in a clear imitation of Clarisse.

"Shrimp!" Clarisse shouted from the watching crowd. A few laughs went up.

"I prefer 'average', Clarisse. Unlike you- big, beefy and… well, I'm not going to say anymore." Clarisse glowered at him, but said nothing. "Right." Leo tugged on the beak of the cap. "Hello?" They hit his hand away again, complaining. Leo frowned and gently pulled the cap off.

His smile faded. "Oh my gods…" Leo replaced the cap gently and shifted, hooking his arms under her legs and around her shoulders, lifting her up bridal style.

Percy swore under his breath when he saw who Leo was carrying.

Louisa had come home.

Wherever she had been for the last two months, Leo was all for pressing charges.

He didn't see the full extent of her injuries- female Apollo campers sent him out. All he knew was that there was very little of her that wasn't burnt, bruised, scarred or all three.

Percy paced to and fro in the corridor, muttering to himself. Leo wasn't sure, but he thought he could see a green aura flickering about his friend. It reminded him of when Jason got upset and lightning surged across his skin. Lightning was dangerous, but not as dangerous as unstable sea energy in a narrow hallway.

"She'll be fine." Leo tried. "This is Lou here. She's so stubborn; she makes the gods look charming." It was a feeble joke, but Leo couldn't think of anything better. He hadn't seen his best friend in over two months and just appears out of the blue, covered in mysterious injuries. _What in the name of Hades' underwear had she done this time?_

* * *

Louisa opened her eyes.

Wait… that wasn't Thalia's tree…

She sat up and looked around the infirmary.

She was in the Big House.

Louisa recalled a feeling of being carried but had relented under the temptation of sleep. Who had carried her here? And how dare they! She _hated_ being picked up…

She heard voices outside, real voices this time. Cautiously, she shakily got to her feet and staggered to the door. The handle was cold and metallic beneath her trembling fingers and it took her a few, excruciatingly long seconds to pull the door open.

She found her brother pacing the hall, looking angry. Leo was sat a short distance away, at the top of the stairs, bouncing a ping pong ball off the wall. They both froze when they saw her, Leo grinning broadly and jumping to his feet, nearly toppling down the stairs in his haste.

"How are you feeling?" Louisa didn't answer, staring at him. "Uh, Lou, how are you feeling?" Leo and Percy stopped either side of her. "Helloooo, planet Earth to Louisa…" Leo rapped his knuckles gently on her head. Neither of them expected to be pulled into a group hug.

"You're alive." She mumbled.

"Uh… yeah…" Leo wrapped his arm around her tentatively. "Why wouldn't I be?" She didn't answer, hugging them tighter.

"Lou, what's the matter? What's happened?" Percy brushed his sister's tangled hair carefully from her face, revealing a faint bruise beneath her hairline. Louisa didn't seem to hear him, looking at both of them pleadingly and pulling back a fraction. Leo kind of missed the hug but stayed quiet.

"Tobias… is he…?"

"He's OK too. Missing his Aunty Lou."

"And the others?"

"They're fine." Percy promised. "Where've you been, Lou?" She shook her head.

"No…" She mumbled, her voice trembling. Percy and Leo exchanged surprised looks. Percy caught her in another hug, able to do his 'protective big brother thing' without her protesting.

"OK, OK." He sighed. "You're back now, Lou." She nodded.

Some of Louisa's injuries had been healed by ambrosia and nectar, but for some reason, Percy's water healing charms weren't working. She had been covered in major and minor burns, bruises of various sizes and recent scars, some fairly deep, but not deep enough to be too serious. Thankfully, the Apollo girls had managed to heal as much as they could, mostly the burns, but there was still a great deal.

Louisa stayed in her brother's reassuring hug as images flickered across her vision. She looked at the wall, but didn't see it. Instead, she saw the night sky framed around a tree. The moonlight fell on the form hanging by its neck from a thick branch halfway up.

Percy frowned. Something was wrong with his twin, very wrong- she was shaking chronically. "Lou?" She shook her head, burying her face in his shoulder.

"Uh… should I get Chiron or someone?" Leo offered, anxiously waving his hands with no idea what he was doing.

"Could do. Thanks Leo." Leo nodded and left, confusion settling over him. Louisa had been looking at that wall as if it were the world's largest and most dangerous snake alive- Leo had seen her around snakes. It wasn't good.

Something had scared Louisa.

But what? What could possibly scare Louisa other than snakes?

* * *

**Alright, probably a bit poo, but I changed some of it and added some in, so it's not **_**exactly**_** the same as some of the stuff from Louisa's downfall rewritten. And I found some of my pre-written chapters! I might post those next! :D **


	6. Brave

**To Guest 1- I think it was twenty-one roughly in the other one because Percy was that age when Tobias was born, so obviously Lou is too :P And thank you!**

**To Guest 2- Thank you! :D **

**Slight time-skip, but I can't think if I've used these chapters before or not, so if I have, SORRY!**

* * *

The project spat flames and smoke into the air, snapping sharply. Leo dived forward and shielded Louisa as fire burst in her direction. It brushed against his skin, a pleasant tickling feeling instead of a minor burn.

The defunct project stopped shooting flames, but smoke continued to curl from it. Leo quickly dumped it in the reinforced trashcan that could contain a Greek fire explosion without a scratch.

Louisa was laughing into her sleeve-covered hands, her eyes gleaming good-humouredly.

"That was fun." Leo grinned. She gave a very sarcastic look, nodding almost mockingly and biting her lip to conceal a laugh. Her eyes danced mischievously; a look Leo hadn't seen for a while and hadn't realised he had missed until then. "Hey, I just saved your life. Be grateful."

"Eternally." She agreed. "Gonna try again?"

"Yeah. I just need to understand those codes." Leo had uncovered some folders full of numbered plans. It had taken him a week to decipher half of the first plan and to work with them as best he could. He had wanted to see what he could do with what he had and it had exploded. Such fun.

Louisa was still smiling, which was nice to see after four nights solid of horrid nightmares and continuous flashbacks. Percy had recounted how his sister would wake up, sitting bolt upright and pacing the cabin until breakfast. If she didn't do that, then she had had a really, _really_ bad nightmare and would awake, screaming. This had happened three times and she had only fallen out of the bed once in her terror, entangling herself in the bed sheets out of sheer panic.

"Oy, Valdez." She snapped her fingers in his face. "Ya starin'." Leo blinked and pulled himself together. Louisa was watching him quizzically, a trace of a smile still playing in her eyes.

"Sorry. Daydreaming. You hungry?" She shook her head, looking away to fiddle with the various tools scattered across the workbench. "Seriously?" Leo frowned. "You didn't have any breakfast."

"I'm fine."

"I'll coke you a Valdez special." He tried.

"I'm fine, Leo, honest." She smiled and Leo was almost convinced. Emphasis on _almost_. Luke had done something, something irreparable. Leo hated not being able to fix something, especially his best friend.

"Well," He sighed, "if you change your mind, let me know." She nodded.

They were in Bunker 9. Louisa was sat on a workbench, as usual, hugging her legs to her chest. She wore her usual T-shirt and tracksuit bottoms, but also one of Leo's fire-proof army jackets, the sleeves pulled over her hands. She also had a forest camouflage cap pulled low over her eyes- Leo didn't like that- her hair in the usual ponytail- Leo didn't like that either, not since he had caught her with her hair down. He much preferred her to having her hair down. She seemed… tamer, somehow, more beautiful, but even more unattainable.

She reached down and flicked a bit of dried mud from her scuffed trainers. They were her favourite pair; old trainers, but not old enough to be tatty.

Leo was quite a handsome devil today- more than normal- even if he did say so himself. He was in casual jeans with his tool belt and a black T-shirt (to hide the dirt) with the Camp Half-Blood logo in orange on it. His trainers were in better condition than Louisa's and relatively cleaner.

Tugging the sleeves over her hands again, Louisa started chewing her lip, her eyes fixed nervously on something past Leo. He turned, trying to follow her gaze, but couldn't figure out what she was staring at. She did that sometimes and it worried him. What could she see that no-one else could? What upset her so?

He poked her gently. "You OK?"

"I'm good." She mumbled. "Kinda." She added, looking at him pleadingly. Leo gave a pitying smile and moved forward, wrapping his arms around her. She tensed, but eventually remembered this was the guy who had completely _annihilated _Backbiter. He had driven some automaton horses over it, dropped an old chariot on it, before he and Louisa took turns firing arrows at the remains that were duct-taped to a target board. He had then proceeded to melt it down and make a table-top Pegasus automaton that flew three feet above any surface.

Leo felt Louisa relaxing and smiled to himself.

He was a good friend- _mental pat on the back._

But he didn't want to be just a 'good friend' to Louisa anymore.

Now, before you rip his head off, remember that he had crushed on her big time the second he had seen her. His feelings only increased over the years and it physically _hurt_ when she had been missing. To see the state she was in on her return, Leo had made a silent vow to get the old Louisa- _his_ _chica_- back. He spent as much time as he could with her and occasionally caught glimpses of the old Louisa. Those glimpses were becoming more and more frequent.

If it was possible, Leo found himself loving her that little bit more every day. But whatever Luke had done had made her uneasy around most guys. She was mostly relaxed around the ones she knew best, such as her brother, her three mortal friends and Leo.

"Wanna go catch a movie sometime?" He offered.

"Ok." Leo grinned. Score one to him.

Leo sat on the workbench next to her, quickly replacing his arms around her. Louisa rested her head on his shoulder, shifting to get comfortable.

"You know, I've just thought of something…" Leo mused.

"We're doomed."

"Nice to know you have such faith in me." She smirked at him and he smiled, poking her side. She squirmed and elbowed him half-heartedly in retaliation. "Anyway, Percy and Annabeth were telling me about the Titan War and the Great Prophecy before the one including this awesome hottie right here," Leo gestured at himself, making Louisa shake her head. "Yeah, so, they told me what happened and everything and I was thinking… it was a child of the Big Three in that prophecy- Percy. But you're twins, so it could have been either of you." She shot him a 'duh' look. "Funny." He muttered. "So, anyway, where were you during the Titan War?"

"This was our sixteenth birthday, right?"

"Uh, yeah." Louisa chewed her lip in thought. She could hear his steady heartbeat and it was distracting, but oddly comforting.

"Um… I was… in the UK." She furrowed her brow in thought. "Fightin' with the Keepers, I think."

"Those are the Assassin guys, right?" She nodded. "Did you… _kill_ anyone?"

"No. Knocked a few out 'n' killed these weird monster things, but nothin' new."

"Oh. OK." Leo must have sounded too relieved as she looked up at him bemusedly. "Lou, you're scary enough. Please don't become an Assassin." She smiled evilly. Leo uttered a scared whimper, making her laugh, all the evil coldness melting away.

"OK, OK." She said, hints of laughter in her tone. Leo gave a sigh of relief, earning a small smile from her.

Leo loved her laugh as much as he loved her. She was talking to him, but he barely registered what she was saying as she watched her lips move.

He had no idea what propelled him to do something that he had only dared dream about.

Louisa braced her shoulders as Leo suddenly leaned in.

Leo froze, a mere inch separating them.

"I won't hurt you." He promised quietly, brushing her hair behind her ear gently. He paused- just for a second- and then closed the gap, his lips just grazing over hers.

"Leo! Lou! You guys here?" They sprang apart. She burned crimson, something Leo had never seen before. His face was probably the same colour, but something clattered to the floor and Percy cursed.

"Percy!" He yelled, his heart pounding in his ears. "If you've broken something, I'm going to _burn_ you!" He disappeared into the mountains of inventions, but not before noticing she was looking at him, as though she had never seen him before.

* * *

**Again, real sorry if I posted this in the other one- I found it in an old writing book of mine and thought I could use it :D **


	7. Stupid

**To Guest- Thank you! :D**

* * *

"Are you alright, Lou?" Percy asked concernedly, cautiously resting a hand on his sister's shoulder. She stared up at him over her shoulder and that look was still there. A strange light had appeared in her eyes over the last few days, as though she was desperately trying to figure something out while simultaneously trying not to worry people any more than they worried already.

"I'm fine."

"You're _messy_." Percy corrected. Say what you like about Louisa, she could be relatively sentimental. She had a few boxes of keepsakes under her bed. These boxes consisted of birthday, Christmas and those 'mystery' Valentine's Day cards; little trinkets Tyson had made for her; a picture of her closest friends and family; some of her better drawings and a DVD labelled 'MMA'- she didn't watch it often, but she seemed proud of it.

All of this was sorted into piles around her and she held the five Valentine's Day cards in her hands. Percy smirked at her and she furiously dumped the cards back in their box. He held his hands up innocence. "Hey, I'm not judging." He assured, turning away and sinking onto his bunk. Tobias was curled up asleep on his pillow, covered in a blue baby blanket. He drooled too.

Uncapping Riptide, Percy picked up the cleaning cloth and started polishing. "I don't need to beat anyone up, do I?"

"I'd have beaten you to it, bro." She pointed out quietly, eyeing the box with the Valentine's Day cards in apprehensively.

"You haven't had any nightmares the past few nights. That's good, right?" She nodded absent-mindedly, stacking the rest of the cards in the box. "What's bothering you then?"

"I can handle it."

"Can you?" She narrowed her eyes at him, a withering look of such intensity, Annabeth would have been proud. "I'm just saying. You haven't really been yourself since you got back." He paused as Tobias mewled and rolled over onto his other side. "If you need to talk," Percy continued in a softer voice, "and if you're not too stubborn to admit you need help, I'm here." He got the feeling she was about to demonstrate her stubbornness there and then by ripping his head from his shoulders, but after a few tense seconds, the anger drained out of her.

"Thank you." She muttered.

Her brother probably assumed she was still distracted from those two months stuck with Luke. That was partly the case, but the other thing plaguing her was Leo.

He hadn't followed up his advances with anything romantic, continuing to make her smile and laugh. His support was undying and he was all for helping her back into her old schedule and lifestyle. She wouldn't tell him this, through fear of inflating his already enormous ego, but he was her rock. If it hadn't been for Leo and his cheesy jokes and tofu burgers, she didn't know how she would cope. Leo was the only one not to treat her like a bomb primed to go off at any second. He was just Leo.

Sometimes, she caught him staring and he would instantly look away. Before his attempted kiss, she hadn't really thought anything of it, but now it added to her latest confusion. You wouldn't get her to repeat this or say it aloud, but Leo was kind of cute in his scrawny, elfish way. The thought was just so _alien_, Louisa deflected it immediately, her 'walls' shooting up.

As a teenager, she had never been bothered by boys, unlike the rest of the girls in her grade. Most of her friends had been boys, but that was all they were- _friends_.

But then Leo had pulled his little _stunt_, leaving her utterly and helplessly confused. Perplexed.

The majority of her feelings she had felt before- anger, resentment, sarcasm, all the good stuff.

This feeling- she hadn't felt it before. She didn't know what to do.

A knock on the door drew her from her thoughts.

"No!" Percy called, capping Riptide and setting the pen on the bedside table.

"I don't deal with rejection too well, Jackson."

"Oh, it's you."

"Can I come in?"

"No." Percy smiled at his sister, his eyes twinkling cheekily.

"Dude!"

"What'd you want, Leo?" Their friend peeked curiously around the door, standing on the other side of the threshold- he wasn't technically _in_ the Poseidon cabin. "Yes?" Percy smiled politely, a glint emerging in his eyes.

"Hi." He waggled his fingers at the pair of them. "Oh," He saw Tobias was asleep and put his hand over his mouth. "Sorry." He mumbled. His warm brown eyes slid to Louisa, asking her a silent question.

"It's OK to talk, repair boy." Percy smirked.

"Funny." Leo muttered, lowering his hand and sticking his tongue out at the son of Poseidon. Percy mimicked. "Lou, I was going to New York today. I can drop you off at Jessica's for a while, if you want."

"Really?" Leo nodded and she scrambled up. She hadn't seen her mother for a while now. "Thanks Leo!"

"Anytime."

"I want her back in one piece." Percy warned.

"Oh, stop being so big brother-ish!" Louisa complained childishly, pulling on her jacket. Percy just smiled and shooed them away.

"You seem happier." Leo acknowledged as they headed for the hill. "Everything OK?" She nodded, hopping along next to him to re-tie her shoe lace. Leo grabbed her elbow to steady her.

"I can do it myself." She grumbled, setting her foot on the floor in defiance. Leo let her go.

"Stubborn moo." He knelt and tied her shoelace for her. "See? Wasn't so hard now, was it?"

"I could've done that." Leo stood and beamed at her.

"I've never met someone as stubborn as you."

"You're welcome." He shoulder-bumped her playfully and she hit his arm in retaliation, clearly doing her best not to smile and failing. He pulled a packet of marshmallows from his tool belt and handed it over.

"You're welcome." She bounced one of the sweets off his head.

They reached the top of the hill, her pausing to feed Peleus some marshmallows. He roasted them before eating and Leo was ordered to roast marshmallows for her. "Yes, your Highness."

"Shut up." She started down the hill. Leo hesitated before following her, recognising the warm sensation trickling down his spine. It had nothing to do with his fire.

He had felt the same propelling feeling a month ago, when he had first tried to kiss her. He was all for trying again, despite his nerves; but, knowing his luck, someone or something would appear and interrupt _again_.

But if he didn't act, he was _terrified_ that he never would.

He hurried after her, almost as if his feet had a mind of their own.

"Lou!" She stopped and locked back, mere feet from his car. He faltered slightly as her gorgeous green eyes locked on him, but that warmth down his back flared briefly, almost warningly. He kept going, barrelling straight into her. It was pretty much suicide, but he caught her in his arms and kissed her there and then.

She tensed, unsure how to react.

_I won't hurt you_.

Leo's words from last time echoed around her mind. Even though the words from memory, Louisa could still hear the promising and loyal tone. She closed her eyes almost automatically, as though some dormant part of her mind was suddenly in control.

Her mind was at war with her heart. Leo was a great guy and it was only then- just that very second- she understood what her new feeling meant.

She loved this guy to _bits_.

But her mind would forever torment her with echoes of the fear and pain Luke had struck up inside her.

Neither of them moved. Leo eventually pulled away for air, resting his forehead against hers. He looked at her as she slowly relaxed, seeing that her eyes were closed still. He couldn't read her expression- confused, dreamy, scared?

Reluctantly pulling himself together, Leo pulled back entirely. "Jessica will be waiting." He murmured, taking her hand and directing her to the car. He opened the door for her, but she hovered, not moving. "Lou?"

"You just kissed me."

"Stupid of me, I know." The sarcasm was there, but not the light tone. He sounded… bitter.

"Leo-" He looked at her, the usual cheekiness gone from his eyes and replaced with a guarded, yet expectant look. She bit her lip, not looking away. "I guess we're both stupid then." She moved quickly- if he had blinked, he would have missed it. All he knew was that, this time, _she_ was kissing _him_.

He smiled against her lips and folded his arms around her waist, holding her close to him.

When they parted for air, he laughed softly.

"I've waited years to do that." She didn't say anything, studying his eyes. "We're so stupid."

"Very stupid." She agreed, her fingers at his throat. It took a few seconds for him to realise she wasn't trying to strangle him- she was looking for something.

He took her hands in his, lacing their fingers. "Not a word to anyone." Her grip tightened on his hands, threatening to break them.

"Now why would I do that?"

"Proof that ya bloody Valdez charms works."

"Oh, so you _do_ admit it works!"

"No I didn't."

"You-" She smirked and he knew there was no getting her to say it again. "Fine." He placed a kiss on her forehead. "Jessica's waiting." He reminded her.

"You can't tell her anythin'."

"Can I tell anyone?"

"No."

"Damn."

* * *

**Elmlea, did you melt again? :D **


	8. Pooface

Louisa stood in the throne room with her brother, his son and wife on her left and Percy on her right. The gods had called her here. The others had come for moral support.

A nagging feeling in the back of her mind made her believe she was in 'deep shit trouble', as she had told Chiron earlier. Chiron had tutted at her for her language and reassured her she wasn't in trouble of any depth.

If she wasn't in trouble, why did her dad have a face like thunder?

"Louisa Smith-Jackson." Zeus called.

"Uh… yeah?" Percy nudged her. "I mean, yes Lord Zeus?" She _hated_ formalities. It was just so bizarre and out of character- almost like agreeing to date Leo. Just as arduous.

"You have been recognised. Step forward." Louisa hesitated for a split second, before remembering she used to have arguments with Zeus for funsies.

She pulled herself together and marched forward, trying for her usual defiance and hopefully succeeding. Her father's eyes lightened slightly in amusement, but he still looked lethal.

The gods were unnervingly silent, staring at her monotonously.

"Following recent and past misfortunate events caused by your selfless actions to defend your family and loyalty to the gods, the council have decided a proposition for you." Athena said. Annabeth had told Louisa that maybe- just _maybe_- the goddess of wisdom had more respect for Louisa than she did for Percy, mainly because of what had happened.

Louisa looked at her father. He gave a reassuring nod, his thunderous look easing slightly as he gave a small smile.

"OK?" Zeus raised his left hand. A flash of lightning brushed his fingertips and struck the floor at his feet. The mortals shielded their eyes until the lightning died down. A glowing, fiery orb hovered in the air, tongues of flame licking the air briefly before returning to its source.

"Hestia, sister, announce your presence." Zeus ordered. The fire in the hearth grew warmer and friendlier, dancing merrily. As casual as anything, Hestia stepped out of the flames wearing her usual brown dress and a white shawl. She appeared to be in her mid-thirties - motherly and gentle.

The flames clung to her lovingly until she simply brushed them away. She bowed to Zeus.

"Zeus, brother." Zeus gave a nod before returning his stern blue gaze to Louisa.

"Hestia will bestow upon you a gift." Louisa held her uncle's gaze briefly before looking at Hestia. The goddess had stepped up to the fiery orb, tenderly placing her hands either side of it. The fire twisted up her arms gracefully, brushing through her hair and down her back.

In Hestia's hands was a simple Greek jar.

"Oh wow…" Percy mumbled. Louisa restrained herself from turning round and asking him what had wowed him.

Hestia moved forward with the grace of the dancing flames behind her. She gave an amiable smile, ever maternal.

"Louisa Smith-Jackson," Louisa was still getting used to the 'Jackson' on the end of her name, "I present you with Hope." Hestia held the jar out to her.

Louisa didn't take it.

Hestia's smile remained, but she titled her head to the side slightly in curiosity. "Is something the matter?"

"That's Pandora's jar."

"It is." Hestia beamed at her. "The gods deem you worthy of having it."

"I have hope. I'm not gonna take it from anyone." Hestia's smile broadened with pride. Louisa had been worried that the gods would blast her for refusing a gift.

"You speak wisely, child." Athena commented. Her expression softened towards Louisa, but the warning look the goddess had towards her rival's children remained in her stormy grey eyes. "The gods made the right choice."

Louisa refrained herself from saying 'for once'.

Instead she questioned, "What choice?"

"A night with me, preferably." Poseidon, if possible, angered further, glaring at something to the right of the thrones.

A man walked out of the shadows, stretching the white, feathery angel like wings on his back. He had thick dark hair and sparkling blue eyes. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, with broad shoulders and built like a swordsman with a narrow waist. He was nearing six foot, his wingspan nearing double that. He wore black jeans and a dark blue shirt that had the first few buttons undone, showing his tanned chest.

_Prat_, Louisa thought, smirking slightly.

"Pothos, you were _not_ summoned to this meeting." Poseidon growled. Thunder boomed overhead.

Percy and Louisa were trying to place Pothos in the Greek mythology they did know. Thankfully, Annabeth was nearby.

"He's one of the three Erotes."

"Oh them." Percy said at the same time Louisa said, "One of the three who?"

"Erotes."

"Dunno 'em."

"I'll explain later."

"'Kay."

Pothos smiled at Louisa. His smile was seductive, but Louisa didn't fall for his charms. Instead she returned her gaze to Hestia. The goddess's smile had been replaced with worry. Noticing Louisa's attention was on her, she smiled reassuringly, protectively holding Pandora's jar closer to her.

Pothos strolled leisurely over to Louisa, hands behind his back and studying her curiously. Hestia moved back.

Louisa clenched her fists. He stood at least a foot taller than her and was a god, but that didn't stop her from wanting to slam the creepy smile from his smug, handsome face.

Pothos stopped in front of her, his smile still in place. Louisa glared at him.

"I know what happened." He told her. "There are many emotional and mental scars left." He reached out to her. Louisa grabbed his wrist in a death grip. His smile faltered slightly, but then it returned, seductive and cocky. "Feisty one, eh?" He snatched his hand away. "I can help take those scars away."

"Get away from my sister." Percy growled, stepping between Louisa and Pothos. Pothos looked mildly surprised at the intrusion, but merely waved it off.

"She'll come to me eventually."

"In ya dreams, ya lil'-"

"Louisa, watch the language in the presence of the council." Her father warned, trying to keep his temper from his voice. Louisa fell silent.

"Obedient as well." Percy's hand went to his pocket. "I wouldn't bother with the toothpick, boy."

"Pothos, be gone!" Zeus demanded. Pothos gave an absent-minded nod, turning back to Louisa as though he had all the time in the world.

"Fourth floor. Room 218. If you get lost, just ask her." He nodded at Annabeth. Annabeth glared back, shifting her hold into something protective around her son. "Marvellous work, you've done by the way."

"Pothos!" Zeus warned. Pothos nodded again to the king of the gods, yet made no move of exiting.

"I'll see you at five." Louisa shoved her brother out the way, her sword growing in her hand. In one blurred movement and 1.6 seconds, Louisa had the tip of her blade at Pothos's throat. "The feistier the better."

"How'd the ladies like ya without a head?" Louisa snarled, digging the blade's point deeper into his throat. A slither of golden ichor dribbled from a shallow wound.

"This one? Loyal to the gods? Mmm… you might want to revise your decisions."

"Loyal ta the _gods_. Not little shits."

Poseidon rose, turning into a whirlpool that gradually became smaller as it moved towards them. When the whirlpool dissolved back into the air, Poseidon was the size of a regular guy- similar height to Percy.

The sea god closed his hand around Louisa's upper arm.

"Louisa, join me for a walk."

"After I've ripped his wings off."

"I am sure Lord Zeus will deal with him." Poseidon looked at his brother. Zeus gave a curt nod. "Thank-you, brother." Poseidon dragged his daughter away. Louisa continued to glare at Pothos.

"I'll see you later, Louisa." Pothos called. Louisa's eyes flared with renewed anger.

"Come near me again 'n' I'll fuckin' kill you." Poseidon smartly pulled her out of the throne room, ignoring her protests.

* * *

When Leo stepped out of the elevator, the first thing he noticed was the monstrous storm cloud hanging over Olympus.

Either Poseidon was really ticked off or one of the twins was getting angry.

Knowing gods, demigods and his luck, it would probably be all three of them.

Leo wound through the amazing village, taking in every incredible detail. Marble buildings, all designed from the Greek era. Annabeth's work was the bomb. Although… a dancing statue would like nice there… and a bench with turbo boosters would go ideal over there… yes, very nice…

Leo was on his way to the throne room, when he heard something from a little way down the corridor.

Changing direction, he walked out onto the gardens. There was a section for each of the twelve Olympian gods, all over the grounds. Annabeth had designed them with the god/goddess's personal help as well as Demeter, Persephone and any other flower/gardening/season gods.

Pacing in- obviously- Poseidon's sector of the garden was an agitated Louisa. Sitting on the edge of the fountain was Poseidon.

The water in the fountain was bubbling furiously. A gut feeling told Leo the stirring of the water wasn't being caused by the present god.

He looked closer to the fountain. It was of Poseidon and his two children, Tyson sat at their feet and beaming. The statue of the god had his arms around the twins and they were all smiling. Carved in the circular plinth that they stood/sat on were tridents, all criss-crossing and covering the edges of the plinth. The water was being projected into the air from a small opening behind the three statues, falling over them as if they stood under a waterfall. In the pool, miniature versions of various and beautiful sea plant life bloomed, exotic fish swimming madly through them as the water continued to bubble and thrash.

Leo returned his attention to Louisa. She had disappeared behind the fountain.

"Mr. Valdez." Leo looked at the god.

"Lord Poseidon." Leo greeted, bowing. The god smiled in acknowledgement.

"I see you appreciate Annabeth's fine work here." He gestured at the statue.

"Yeah, it's cool." Leo's eyes flicked to the statue of Louisa. "What's up with Lou?" Poseidon's smile faltered slightly.

"Pothos."

"Who?"

"One of the three Erotes."

"Oh… erm…" Poseidon waved him on. "What happened?"

"Let's just say Pothos made a few… _suggestions_ towards Louisa. Obviously, she wasn't happy about that."

"Obviously." Leo muttered.

"Will you sit with her? I must check that Zeus has dealt with Pothos suitably and that Percy hasn't killed him either."

"Yes sir."

"Thank-you." Leo averted his gaze as Poseidon flashed away.

"Lou?" Leo called, walking forward.

"Go away."

"Lou, it's me." She didn't say anything. "The lovable, flammable Leo who is bravely dating you."

"I don't care if it's the president, just go away." Leo ventured forward. Louisa was sitting on the ground, leaning against the fountain. She looked _murderous_.

Leo courageously sat next to her.

"What if I was the president?"

"Keep dreamin', Valdez."

"Thanks for your support."

"Anytime." Her tone remained monotonous, an angry power burning in her sea green eyes.

"You're scaring the fish."

"What fish?" Leo nodded at the fish in the fountain. "Oh. Those fish." She knelt up and dipped her hand in the water. A few nearby fish crowded round her, butting her hand affectionately. "Sorry, guys. Just kinda pissed off at the moment." The water relaxed and the fish calmed down, resuming their swims at less frantic paces.

Louisa withdrew her hand. Leo noticed it was still perfectly dry as she slouched against the fountain again.

"What are the Erotes?" He asked.

"Ask Annabeth. She knows."

"As always." Louisa nodded, looking at the ground between her toes. "What happened exactly, chica?"

"That git… Pooface-"

"Pothos." Leo corrected kindly.

"Whatever. He… well, he kinda walked out the shadows when the gods were talkin' 'bout somethin' 'n' then he was being all Mr. Lovey Dovey Crap. Percy got pissed off. Dad got pissed off."

"You got majorly pissed off."

"Enough to hold him at sword point."

"Really?"

"Yup."

"Lou, you're a twisted marvel."

"Thanks."

"What happened then?"

"He kept makin' _suggestions_ as Dad called 'em. I told him if he comes near me I'm gonna fuckin' kill him."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"In front of your dad and the other Olympians?"

"Yup."

"You're not bothered, are you?"

"Nope." Leo bumped her with his shoulder.

"That's the old Lou. Doing shit for the sake of doing shit." Louisa gaped at him.

"Oh my gods, did Leo Valdez swear?" Leo elbowed her again, smiling a lopsided smile. "Who are ya 'n' what have ya done with ma fire boy?"

"Two things- _boy_?" He sounded offended.

"Yep."

"And _your_ fire boy?" He smirked triumphantly. Another point to the effectiveness of the Valdez charm.

"Luckily, you were on discount."

"Oh thanks." Leo slumped against the fountain. Louisa smiled sweetly at him. "You're like marmite."

"Marmite?" Louisa said, her smiling faltering as a look of curiosity passed over her features. "Seriously? Just, _seriously_?"

"Let me explain." She glared at him. "Well, you're like marmite 'cos it's either people hate you or they love you."

"What 'bout you?"

"What about me?"

"Do you like marmite or not?"

"Marmite… well, not really." She looked away, but not before he saw the slight flicker of pain in her eyes. He took her hand. "You're more like ice-cream right now."

"Why am I food all of a sudden?"

"I'm hungry."

"Figures." She sighed. "Why am I like ice-cream?"

"Cold, but sweet." She gave a soft laugh, smiling slightly. They sat in a comfortable silence for a short while. Then he got bored.

He tugged on her hand. She looked at him.

"Mmm?"

"Are you mad at me?" She blinked at him and then her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Why would I be mad at you?" It was Leo's turn to be confused. Louisa gave him a funny look. "I'm not _always_ mad at you, ya know."

"Well, that's a surprise." He smiled. She rolled her eyes at him. "Can I have a hug?" She shook her head. "Pwetty pwease?" She sighed, closing her eyes. "See, you are mad at me."

"Am not."

"You always close your eyes when you do that count to ten thing." He held his hands out. "Can I have a hug?"

"Fine." Leo grinned like an idiot as he wrapped Louisa in his arms.

Pooface could bring it on. This was _his_ chica.

* * *

**The next few chapters will be from the old one, but I've got a new chapter written up for afterwards, so I hope you guys don't mind putting up with the old stuff. This one is mainly a filler/ a bit of Leoisa.**


	9. Stabby stab

Louisa woke up in a king sized bed. She remembered going for a stroll with Leo around the Olympus grounds. Then they had gone to dinner- where she and Percy had a hotdog and cheeseburger fight- Apollo and Hermes joined in. Having a hot dog thrown at you by a god hurts.

"Morning Lou." Louisa looked around lazily. Leo was sitting in a chair by the window. It was sunrise. Naturally, he had a coffee. "You should have some god-made coffee. It's the best."

"I will later. Remind me." Leo nodded. "What're ya doin' in here anyway?"

"Oh, Pooface was lurking about, so I made him think that you were… err…"

"With you?" Louisa finished. Leo nodded hesitantly. "That was very brave of you." He smirked and she glowered at him. He hastily changed his mind.

"Which is exactly why I've had three coffees since two this morning."

"What the hell were ya doin' up at two?"

"Dad took me to some super cool forges and we've been tinkering all morning." Louisa noticed the faint smudges of oil and dirt on his fingers.

"Anythin' for me?" Leo chuckled.

"I tried a boomerang that shot stun lasers, but it didn't quite work."

"Keep tryin'. I want one."

"I thought you might."

"Ah, she's up now." Leo was shocked and scared at the sudden change in Louisa's expression. The second Pothos stepped foot into Louisa's room, she went from happy and humorous to majorly ticked off and dangerous.

_Mental note twenty-eight: Don't get on a daughter of Poseidon's nerves. _Leo thought, slouching in seat and sipping from his coffee. He was so going to be hyper later.

"I told ya if ya came near me I'll kill ya."

"Yes, I know." Louisa glared at him, sitting up and reaching for her watch. Pothos held his hand up and the watch zoomed across the room. He closed his fingers around it.

Thunder boomed outside as Louisa's eyes flared a darker, more powerful green. "I told you I like the feisty girls, but ones without weapons are more preferable."

"Ya have three seconds ta leave or I'll be usin' ya wings ta make feather pillows." Pothos raised a dark eyebrow.

"Is that so?"

"I would start running." Leo said helpfully from where he sat. Pothos's cocky smirk faded as he remembered Leo was in the room.

"That's several seconds too long." Louisa grabbed the nearest thing- an antique lamp- and threw it across the room. Pothos ducked in time.

Louisa was up and slamming her fist into Pothos's face faster than Leo could say 'coffee'.

Violence first thing in the morning was a good way to wake the brain up.

Pothos staggered back, golden ichor pouring from his nose. Louisa advanced. _Mental note twenty-nine: Do not be on the receiving end from any violence from Louisa. _

Louisa landed a heavy blow to Pothos's stomach and then kicked him away. He landed heavily, Louisa's watch flying from his hand. She darted forward and snatched it out of the air with lightning fast reflexes. In two seconds, it was on her wrist and then a sword.

"On ya feet!" She ordered angrily through gritted teeth. Pothos groaned, rolling onto his front and pushing himself up.

The second he was on his feet and facing her, he received a golden gash across his chest. He looked stunned. Louisa wasn't finished. She added more and more injuries to him- chest, face, and limbs-anything she could.

Pothos fell back. Louisa stepped forward, slamming the hilt of her sword into his gut. Pothos doubled over, winded. Louisa kicked him hard in his sensitive part. Pothos fell to his knees, holding his injured parts.

Leo thought it was a good time to step in. He jumped up and moved forward, wrapping his arms around Louisa's waist just as she was about to slice Pothos's head off.

Louisa struggled against him, throwing her sword at Pothos. One of his wings became embedded into the floor. The minor god screamed in agony, golden ichor staining the dark blue carpet.

"What is going on?" Poseidon stepped into the room. He took in the injured god, his protesting daughter and the struggling Leo. "Ah." Poseidon slammed the bottom of his trident into the ground. Pothos vanished in a tidal wave. Louisa's sword was still were it had been, at an angle, hilt pointed at the ceiling. "My child, you must calm yourself. Mr. Valdez may get hurt."

Something registered in Louisa's anger clouded mind.

She slowly stopped struggling, breathing heavily. Poseidon moved forward. "Let her go." Leo carefully let Louisa go, cautious of the fact that she might run rampant around Olympus on the search for Pothos to kill him properly.

Poseidon rested his hand on Louisa's shoulder. "I will talk to Zeus and see what we can do. Pothos was banned last night; threatened with the removal of his wings should he disobey Zeus's orders."

"Can I do it?"

"I will tell Zeus you volunteered." Louisa smiled grimly. "Stay in here. I will return later." Poseidon dropped his hand and moved to the door.

"Dad." Poseidon looked back. Louisa hesitated. "Thanks."

"Merely doing my job as a father, Louisa." Louisa's smile wasn't so grim this time- warmer and friendlier. "Percy and Annabeth will be along in twenty minutes. You might want to get things cleaned up."

"Yes Dad." Poseidon left, closing the door quietly behind him.

"Lou?"

"Mm?"

"You good now?"

"I'll be better when I've ripped his wings off."

"For someone speaking so calmly, you're kind of scary."

"Thanks." Leo grinned. Louisa diverted her attention to the ichor stain on the floor. "Why'd he have ta be such a cissy?"

"You're majorly scary when you hold a sword."

"Thanks."

"Again?"

"Again."

"Get cleaned up. I'll see what I can do."

"Sure?"

"Chica, I'm hyped up on coffee. I need _something_ to do."

"Fair enough."

* * *

Annabeth knocked on the door to Louisa's borrowed bedroom on the second floor of the guest building. It was a new structure, the top and fifth floor entirely used for the sole purpose of demigod and minor godly training.

"Yeah!" Louisa called. She sounded surprisingly calm for someone who had floored a minor god earlier less than half an hour ago.

Annabeth opened the door. "Hey." Louisa frowned slightly. "Where's Percy?"

"He's having some new shoe trouble."

"When'd he get new shoes?"

"New _shoe_. You'll see in a minute." Louisa and Leo sat on the edge of the bed, him behind her. Leo was brushing her hair with a soft bristle brush. "What are you doing?"

"I figured brushing her hair helps her calm down."

"Ah. Very smart of you, Leo."

"Thanks." Annabeth took a step back and looked down the hall. Percy was slowly making his way along the corridor, looking down at his right foot.

"Percy, hurry up!" Percy looked up and grinned.

"I would. But my new shoe isn't easy to walk with."

"What're ya on about?"

"Lou, come here." Louisa got up and bounded over to Annabeth. Leo dumped the brush and followed.

Percy's 'new shoe' was Tobias, who was sat on his father's foot and clinging to Percy's leg. Tobias was giggling like mad.

Louisa and Leo laughed.

"Oy, Squirtface!" Tobias looked round and squealed excitedly. "Hi to ya too." Tobias made to wave, but thought better of it when he nearly toppled to the floor.

"Lau Lau!" He cried. All the grown-ups blinked in amazement.

"That's not fair!" Percy protested.

"Lau! Lau!" Tobias looked thoughtfully. "Lou!" He seemed proud of himself.

Louisa laughed triumphantly, moving forward. Percy stopped in his tracks. Tobias freed himself from his father's foot and sat on the floor as Louisa approached.

Louisa crouched, holding her hands out to her nephew. "Lou!" Tobias laughed, closing his chubby fingers around her thumbs.

"Traitor!" Percy hissed. Tobias looked up at his father with a look of pure innocence.

"He's not a traitor, are ya, Squirtface?" Tobias looked back at his aunt. "Ya just know which of us is the better twin."

"Excuse me, Lou, but he hasn't said 'mom' either."

"Clearly I'm the better _person_." Louisa stood, holding her nephew.

"Lou!"

"That's me." Louisa grinned, chucking Tobias under the chin.

* * *

**Still using the old chapters for a while, hope you don't mind! :D **


	10. Movie night

Leo set the hot chocolate in front of Louisa.

"Thanks, Leo." She mumbled, picking the mini-marshmallows from the hot drink. Leo sat next to her, nursing his own hot drink. He watched Louisa carefully, noticing the dark shadows under her eyes, the paleness of her skin and how thin she was. She had had a series of bad nights after returning from Olympus. Precious few hours of sleep and meals had been abandoned yet again and it was taking everything Leo had to get her to do _anything_.

Louisa started putting the marshmallows in a little pile next to her.

"Lou, you're supposed to eat them."

"Not hungry." Leo sighed, hearing that excuse for the thousandth time.

"Lou, you _have_ to eat. You can't not eat."

"Double negative." She muttered, lifting the cup to her lips. Leo rolled his eyes at her before getting up and going to the fridge. He studied the contents intently, rummaging through endless stacks of chocolate and new, unopened packs of fruit and vegetables, (Sally made sure he had healthy food amongst all the unhealthy. Yuck).

"Got it." Leo stood up straight, smiling proudly at the pot in his hands. "Greek yoghurt." He looked at Louisa. "Want some?"

"Do I have a choice?" Louisa sighed.

"Not really." Leo grinned. He shut the fridge and turned to a drawer behind him, pulling it open and retrieving a silver spoon.

"But I ain't hungry."

"Lou, whose apartment is this?" She sighed irritably.

"Yours." Leo smirked.

"Which makes me in charge, right?"

"Not necessarily."

"My apartment, my rules."

"Leo, who's my dad?"

"Poseidon."

"Can I remind ya I can kick ya ass with water?" He shot her a pointed look. "Or without." She muttered. He gave an agreeing nod and set the Greek yoghurt and the spoon in front of her.

"And I can burn yours." He countered, smiling slightly. This was one of their usual arguments. "My apartment, my rules." He repeated, sitting down. "Right now, I don't care who your dad is. I care about you not eating."

"Ain't hungry."

"Same old excuses, Lou. Just eat."

"No."

"I'll buy you cookies." Leo grinned slyly.

"Don't want none."

"Hotdogs?" Louisa hesitated, but shook her head. "Sure? I know you like them." He teased, smiling angelically.

"What will it take for you ta shut up?" Leo pointed at the Greek yoghurt. Louisa sighed. "Ain't got any honey."

"I'm sorry, what?" Leo sat forward, cupping an ear. Louisa grumbled something. "Still didn't catch that."

"Can I please have some honey?" Louisa said through gritted teeth.

"Of course you can!" Leo laughed, bouncing to his feet. Louisa muttered something. "Excuse me, but _what _did you say?" He stopped searching the cupboards to lean forward over her shoulder, going for intimidating, but he had to stifle laughter.

"Didn't say nothin'."

"Oh yeah?"

"Honey."

"Yeah, what?"

"Not you, ya idiot." Louisa shook her head at him. "Just get me the honey." Leo raised his eyebrows. Louisa sighed again, getting annoyed at his stubborn immaturity. "Please?"

"Better. _Honey_." He turned back to the open cupboard.

"Leo, I'll kick ya ass."

"I'll burn ya ass." Leo said, trying to mimic her accent. He felt her glare on the back of his head. "I'll be quiet."

"Better be."

"OK, quiet time's over. Found the honey." Leo returned to his seat and popped the honey in front of her, not taking his hand from it. Louisa didn't say anything, so he moved the honey towards him a little bit.

"Thanks."

"No, the other one." Louisa looked confused for a second. Leo smiled impishly.

"Fine." Louisa grumbled. "Thank-you Sir Leo-Fire-King-Ultimate-Handy-Man-Captain-of-the-Argo-Two-Valdez."

"You remembered!" Leo laughed, handing her the honey. "Well, most of it."

"You've changed it again?"

"Yup." He said proudly.

"Oh gods." Louisa opened the pot of Greek yoghurt and ladled honey onto the top. Greek yoghurt was the easiest thing for her to eat. It didn't hurt her throat and it didn't make her feel sick either. "Leo, why are ya so kind when I ain't?"

"You are kind, Lou." She gave him The Look. "Well, you can be." She nodded, refilling her spoon. "Besides, I told Percy I'd help look after you."

"I don't need lookin' after."

"I'm sorry, but what exactly have I been doing for the past few months?" Louisa thought for a couple of seconds, spoon still in her mouth. Leo couldn't help but smile at the thoughtful look that had come across her tired features.

Louisa pointed the spoon at him.

"Helpin' me."

"Looking after you."

"Helpin' me."

"Looking after you."

"Helpin' me." They continued with their repetitive argument between Louisa eating the yoghurt and both of them drinking their hot chocolates.

"How about we compromise?" Louisa shot him a quizzical look, filling her mouth with yoghurt. "I'm helping you get back on your feet by making sure you're eating and whatnot. How about that?"

"That's a longer way of sayin' you're lookin' after me. Which ya ain't." She added quickly. "Ya helpin' me. I don't like the compromise."

"I'll throw in some hotdogs."

"How many?" Louisa sounded interested as she put the lid back on the yoghurt pot.

"Two."

"Mmm… I dunno. What's the compromise again?" Leo grinned his lopsided grin and repeated the compromise. "I still don't like it…" Louisa said slowly, "but I'm likin' this idea of hotdogs."

"I can arrange for you to meet up with Jessica again."

"Really?"

"Yup." Louisa hadn't seen her foster mother for well over a year. "Compromise, hotdogs and a day with Jessica. Sound good?"

"Does actually."

"Good. Don't forget the marshmallows." Leo took back the honey and yoghurt, putting it away. He reached for the spoon, but Louisa moved it from his hand. "Lou, give me the spoon."

"Take it then." Louisa challenged, moving the spoon every time he tried to get it.

"Lou, give me the spoon."

"Get one from ya tool belt."

"I don't need a spoon, but I've got to clean that one."

"I'll do it." She insisted, getting to her feet.

"Sure?"

"Leo, it's a _spoon_. It's not goin' ta kill me." Leo didn't say anything, but picked up their empty mugs.

"At least let me do these."

"No."

"Why not?" Louisa held her hand under the running tap as it warmed up. Leo set the mugs down and reached for the washing up liquid.

Louisa froze, looking out of the window above the sink. "What's the matter?" Leo asked, all humour gone, looking out the window himself. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary. He did have a daughter of Poseidon next to him, so he was surprised that monsters weren't raining down on them.

"This is your apartment, ain't it?"

"Yeah." Louisa smirked, dropping the spoon into a mug.

"Your apartment, your washin' up."

"Lou!"

"Yes?"

"You had me worried then! I thought there was a monster or something!" Louisa waved it off.

"Leo, I'd know if there was one. I'm smart like that."

"I noticed." Leo mumbled, turning the tap off and plunging the washing up into the bowl. "You can at least dry, Lou."

"Not my apartment." She smirked.

"You're the guest. My apartment, my rules, my guest, do as you're told."

"No." Louisa stuck her tongue out childishly. Leo smiled at her.

"Please? I'll throw in an extra hotdog."

"_Two_ extra hotdogs."

"Yeah, two."

"Ya have yaself a deal, Valdez."

* * *

Five minutes later, the two friends were sat on the sofa, trying to decide which movie to watch.

"Transformers." Louisa insisted.

"Clash of the Titans."

"BruceAlmighty."

"EvanAlmighty."

"Yesman."

"Twilight." Louisa glared at him. "Joking. Jeez, Lou. You looked ready to kill me. _Again_."

"Twilight _sucks_." Louisa's tone was venomous.

"I take it you're Team Jacob then?" Louisa glowered at him. Somehow, Leo found the nerve to laugh, resulting in her punching him in the shoulder.

"Look, Valdez, fire or no, I can still kick ya ass faster than ya can say ya stinkin' title."

"I'm not sure I want to try that." Leo and Louisa watched each other, her angrier than him. He was mildly challenging and cheekier. She was ready to pounce.

Leo faltered as the plumbing in his walls started to rattle. "Lou, please don't bust the plumbing. I just want to watch a film."

"I ain't watchin' Twilight."

"I was joking, Lou. Honestly. I don't even have Twilight, so you're safe."

"Yeah, right. I bet it's under ya pillow 'n' ya kiss Sir Sparkly goodnight every night."

"Oh sure. That's exactly what I do."

"Transformers."

"PiratesoftheCaribbean."

"Saw." Leo looked at her. "What? They're funny."

"You're _seriously_ twisted."

"Thanks."

"I'm not watching Saw."

"Scared?"

"No. Sane." Leo thought for a minute. "How about… how about we go down to the rental store and see what we find? Have a movie night?"

"Transformers."

"You have some sort of obsession with that, don't you?"

"Bumblebee's awesome."

"So is Optimus Prime."

"He's too posh for ma likin'."

"Ah, I see. So silent Bumblebee is good for you?"

"Yup. He's like a yellow ninja." Louisa got up. "Come on, I want those hotdogs." Leo chuckled and stood.

* * *

At the video shop, Leo and Louisa were having the same problem.

"Thirteen Ghosts." She held the DVD up, revealing the not-so-pleasant cover. "Looks good."

"Lou, again- you're _twisted_."

"Again, Valdez, thanks. What about this one?" She held up another scary movie called Pulse.

"I've seen that." Leo freed a DVD from its shelf. "This one?" He asked, holding up GetSmart.

"That's that EvanAlmighty guy."

"Well done. Wanna watch it?" Louisa took the case and studied the back. After a few seconds, she frowned.

"Damn dyslexia." She muttered. Leo chuckled, looking back at the films.

"This one." He said definitely. Louisa looked up from the dancing letters to see Leo was holding a WinniethePoohfilm.

"Seriously?"

"Tigger's good."

"That's the only thing I like about WinniethePooh." Louisa returned her attention to GetSmart. Leo put his childish film back and searched through the shelves.

He turned round to suggest Avengers to Louisa to see she had wandered off. GetSmarthad been put back on the top shelf, upside-down.

"Lou!" Leo moved quickly along the aisle. "Lou, where'd you go?" He walked past an intersection in the aisle, coming across more DVDs that had been turned upside-down in the top shelf. "Lou!"

"Boo!" Leo whirled round, his hands on his tool belt. Louisa was laughing at him.

"Lou, you had me worried!" He paused. "Again!" She was still laughing. "You're horrible."

"Thanks." She grinned cheekily.

"You haven't… _borrowed_ any sweets, have you?"

"Nope."

"Sure?"

"Yep."

"Right. Come on, we've got a film to pick."

"What's this? Leo Valdez not gettin' his own back?"

"Want to watch SnakesOnAPlane, chica?" Louisa's expression hardened. "That's what I thought. Come on." Louisa was quiet for a few minutes, but she didn't wander off.

"Leo?"

"Yeah?"

"Hurry up."

"Sorry, Ms. Impatient, but I don't know what film to watch."

"Transformers."

"No."

"I'm goin' off you." She told him. Leo turned to look at her.

"Go off me completely and I'll make you watch that Justin Bieber movie."

"Ya wouldn't _dare_." Leo smirked at her before returning his attention to the stacks of films. "What about ResidentEvil?"

"No."

"Dodgeball?"

"Maybe."

"What about… uh…" Leo looked round to see Louisa frowning at a DVD cover. "Actually not that one." Her eyes slid to the one next to it. "That one!" She insisted.

Leo picked the DVD up, seeing that it was _300_. "That's the one with Piper's dad in, ain't it?"

"We'll get this one, Lou. What others?"

"You pick one." She said.

* * *

Back at Leo's apartment, they had 300_, The _Woman in Black, Get Smart, Battle: Los Angeles and Battleship to watch. They also had tons of chocolate, sweets and popcorn. Louisa still had two hotdogs, which suited her fine. She had shared her second hotdog with Leo, having eaten more than enough food than she had for a long time.

"Which one first?" Leo asked, holding the DVDs out to her. Louisa studied them.

"Get Smart. That's the comedy. We'll leave the best 'til last." She motioned at the action films. Leo grinned approvingly and set the film up. When he sat back down, Louisa had helped herself to sweet popcorn.

Their movie night was great fun. During TheWomaninBlack, Louisa had ordered 'Harry' to get his wand out and blow the house up. She had also tried to blow the candles out, so that the Woman in Black could get 'Harry' while he was trapped in the dark. She had successfully turned the first forty-five minutes of the film into a comedy. The dead, young boy climbing out of the marshes had unnerved her, but she tried not to show it. The old fashioned toy monkey with the cymbals didn't seem to have a made a big fan with Louisa either.

When they had watched all the films, it was late and they had eaten half of their junk food supplies and Louisa's last two hotdogs that Leo had heated up in his hands.

"You alright, chica?" Leo asked her as she yawned.

"Yeah, thanks." She stretched and got up, collecting the rubbish.

"Feeling better now you've eaten?" Leo got up to help her.

"Uh… ta be honest, yeah."

"See. I can be right."

"Sometimes." They collected the last of the litter in silence. Scenes of the various films they had watched swam through Leo's head, merging together somehow to create a mini-film.

Louisa's voice cut through his daydream. "Ya should try 'n' make one of those alien ships."

"Huh?" Leo said brilliantly, following her to the kitchen to dump their trash.

"From Battleship."

"Bit advanced for me, Lou. I could try though. But it won't be full scale model, so don't get any ideas about attacking any one in it."

"You were gonna do the same." Louisa sulked. Leo hesitated before nodding admittedly. "Both of us could use it. Squash monsters underfoot 'n' all that crap." Leo gave a laugh, making her smile.

Leo would later look back on that moment with pride and relief.

"Lou?"

"Yeah?" Leo hesitated again, this time out of nerves. "You OK, Leo?" She looked out the window behind her. "Ain't no monsters so what-?" Leo cut her off by stepping forward and pressing his lips to hers.

He had kissed her before, quite a few times, so why he was nervous now, he had no idea. Maybe he was still getting his head around the fact that he- Leo Valdez- had scored the daughter of Poseidon- a girl so out of his league, it was almost fictional. A dream come true.

She seemed to pull herself together. "Random." He kissed her forehead, tucking her hair behind her ear. She smiled sleepily at him, catching a yawn in her hands.

"You take my bed." He ordered. "I'll sleep on the sofa."

"No, I'll take the sofa. You can keep ya bed."

"It's my apartment, Lou. Do as you're told."

"No. I'm sleepin' on the sofa. Ya sleepin' in ya own bed. End of story." She had that stubborn you're-not-changing-my-mind tone. Leo mentally sighed, quickly formulating a plan.

"Fine." He kissed her again, lightly, before they parted to get settle down for the night.

When Leo was certain Louisa wasn't going to wake up anytime soon, he moved forward and lifted her in his arms. She was worryingly thin and light, but she had eaten better today than she had for a long time, even if her diet today had mainly consisted of junk food.

* * *

Louisa woke up to find herself in Leo's bed.

"Git!" She cursed, jumping up. In the living room, she saw Leo sound asleep on the sofa. She nearly stormed over there and shouted at him to wake up, but she caught herself.

Leo woke with a start, spluttering and drenched to the skin in ice cold water.

"Lou!"

"I said stay in ya own bed!"

"Yeah, OK… but _cold _water at…" He looked at the clock, eyes widening at the time. "_At two o'clock in the morning_?"

"That the time?" Leo groaned and got up. He had only slept for just under two hours.

"Ugh… I need coffee."

"But a warm shower first, dude. Ya ain't me or Percy so ya gonna get a cold or somethin' from that water."

"Yeah. Then you can be my nurse."

"Fat chance." Louisa scoffed, but she smiled as if she liked the idea. Leo grumbled, leaving for the bathroom. Louisa prodded the sofa and it dried instantly. It was still warm from where Leo had slept. She settled down quickly, pulling the warm, thick blanket around her shoulders.

When Leo returned, Louisa was asleep. He didn't feel like being on the end of her wrath again, so he reluctantly went to his own bed.

He settled under the covers, the smell of the dark blue Lynx shower gel (deep sea enriched mint or something like that) lingering on the sheets. Louisa hated 'crappy girly shower shit'. Leo didn't mind. His Lynx smelt good on her.

* * *

For the second time that early morning, Leo was woken up. This time, it was his bedroom door creaking open.

He groaned at the noise and at the hallway light flooding his room. Covering his head with his pillow, he made a mental note to fix that damn door.

"Leo?" Leo peeked out from under his pillow. Louisa stood nervously in the doorway. Earlier she had borrowed an old T-shirt (obviously red) and some old, black pyjama bottoms from him.

Again, he liked her in his stuff, but he would never voice it. He liked his head on his shoulders.

"Lou?" Leo sat up, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "What's the matter?" Louisa didn't say anything. Leo looked up at her, squinting in the light that framed her. He asked something that he had never thought he would ask- "Are you… crying?"

"Allergies." She mumbled, turning her head away. Leo kicked back his duvet and got up, not caring that he wore only a blue T-shirt and boxers. She was his girlfriend, she'd have to get used to him wondering around like this.

He stopped in front of her, holding her head gently in his hands, making her look at him. Her eyes were teary and tear tracks glistened dimly in the light that fell on her face. He _hated_ seeing her like this, it just wasn't her.

It seemed the bottled up emotions were taking their toll.

"What's the matter, Lou?" A flicker of pain sliced through her eyes. "Nightmare?"

"_That_ nightmare." She said quietly. Leo wrapped her in his arms. Even in her sleep, she had flashbacks of what had happened. She still smelt faintly of Lynx, but there was a more natural smell about her- cinnamon. Spicy, but sometimes nice- like Louisa.

"It's OK, Lou. I won't let him get you again."

"I don't like him."

"I'm not surprised." Her arms shifted around his waist as she sought further comfort. Leo tightened his hold on her, rubbing her back in a comforting fashion.

* * *

It was half ten when Leo woke again. He had his arms around… Louisa. Louisa, who had her head on his chest. Worryingly, one of her hands was at her throat. All she had to do was close her fist slightly and she would have him choking for air. Leo tried not to think about that, trying to imagine her as his loving girlfriend who had been going for a hug instead of trying to kill him. As usual.

_Louisa was in his bed_. Leo wasn't sure whether or not to freak or jump about in joy.

They hadn't done anything. Leo had just been a source of comfort. Louisa couldn't face sleeping on her own in case the nightmares returned and Leo was silently proud of himself for achieving the impossible- being her one true confidant. He could make the nightmares go away.

* * *

**Some people asked for this chapter to be kept in the rewrite, so here it is! I've changed a bit of it to hopefully fit in with the rest of the stuff I've posted already. **


	11. Whatever you decide

**Sorry for not updating last night. My laptop has decided to go on the blink after updating Google Chrome or something and it's just glitching and taking **_**forever**_** to do anything, so I went to kill zombies to chill for the night. I'm using the other laptop and it's bigger than my one, different keyboard- nightmare! D:**

**I think there may still be a few chapters from the old one that I could include, I'll have to check, but for tonight's update, it'll be something new. Ish.**

* * *

Leo was bored thumbing through the knitting and gardening magazines offered to those in the waiting room. Jessica had a newspaper and was doing the crossword, but Leo had nothing to do. And if he started pulling scraps and wires from his tool belt- knowing his luck- people would think he was building some sort of bomb.

Sighing, he slouched in his seat and stared blearily around at the bland waiting room. Someone to his right coughed heavily, almost choking. Someone else next to them hit them on the back and held out a water bottle, which was politely declined. Another patient to his left was, annoyingly, whistling tunelessly. Leo had wanted to send a single flame at him, but a warning look from Jessica had quelled the urge several times over. He was getting that look again.

"How much longer?" He asked.

"I don't know." Jessica replied for the umpteenth time. It was bad enough Louisa was ADHD- Leo was even more so. Keeping him in check would have made saints cry.

Something was wrong with Louisa- not just the mental torment from the after effects of Luke's wrath, but something else. It had taken them almost a month to convince her to go to the doctors just in case it was something bad. She had only been to the doctors once before and that was a week after she got home- thankfully, Luke hadn't been _contagious in a bad way_, if you get the gist.

"Can I go and see if she's OK?" Jessica hesitated, her eyes straying to the room Louisa was in. It had been half an hour- was everything alright?

She almost relented when, as if summoned, Louisa swung the door open and sprinted out. She ran straight past them, down the hall and out the door before they even registered what was going on.

Leo was faster and caught up with her first. "Lou!" He grabbed her wrist and turned her to face him. She wouldn't meet his eyes, biting her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. "Lou, what's the matter? What did he say?" He gently wiped his thumb over her lips, stopping her from chewing them. She only did that when she _very_ upset.

When she didn't answer, Leo pulled her into a hug. "It's OK, chica, I'm here. I'll help you, whatever it is." He promised. She sniffled and returned his hug tightly, nearly cracking his ribs.

"Lou!" Jessica arrived then and she looked _murderous_. Leo transferred Louisa to her adoptive mother, taking a polite step back. "I talked to the doctor." Jessica said quietly, turning away from Leo slightly. He made sure to study the walls, getting the feeling Jessica was trying to keep things suitable for Louisa- whatever it was, it was for Louisa to tell him, not for him to overhear.

Try as he might to find the wall interesting- which it _wasn't_- the one-sided conversation going on behind him was much more problematic. "He told me." Jessica continued in a softer voice. Louisa was shaking at that point, not even trying to control her tears.

Leo had seen her confronted with snakes. This was worse.

Jessica looked up at him then. "Can you take us home?" He nodded, drawing his car keys and a packet of tissues from his belt.

The older woman kept her arm around Louisa as they walked to his car, practically keeping her upright. It was amazing Louisa had the sense or physical stability to hold a tissue.

* * *

Jessica stayed until Louisa fell into a fitful sleep on the sofa. Leo still hadn't been told what was going on, but he was beginning to get an idea...

"Can you tell me?"

"No." She replied softly, confirming his suspicions. Louisa _was_ to tell him. No-one else. "Sit with her for me." Jessica instructed pleadingly, rising from her seat. "I need to talk to her father."

"Wouldn't he know?"

"It's hard to say. He's a god, but he's also very busy." She looked around. "Where did I put my bag?"

"I think you left it in the car." Leo pointed out his keys hanging on the hook by the door. She gave a grateful nod and left.

"Leo?" He startled.

"I thought you were asleep!" She shook her head. "Well, five stars for acting and three for nearly giving me a heart attack." She gave a weak smile, clearly false. "Talk to me, chica. I want to help." Her forced smile melted away and she lowered her gaze. Leo took her hand in both of his, feeling it quivering and ice-cold.

"Don't tell Percy."

"Why?"

"He'll do somethin' stupid."

"Percy's always doing something stupid." Leo smiled. She nodded in agreement, chewing her lip again. Leo reached out to stop her doing so when she started talking again.

"I don't know what to do, Leo." She admitted quietly, looking pained. Leo shifted to sit behind her, letting her use him as a pillow. Her hair tickled the curve of his neck, but he didn't say anything. She shivered and mumbled incoherently. With a little concentration, Leo warmed himself up a bit, wrapping his arms around her. The world's most attractive hot water bottle.

"I won't tell Percy- or anyone for that matter- unless you want me to. Promise." He kissed the top of her head.

"Leo, he... I'm... with his..." She stumbled over the words, wringing her hands. Agony burned in her eyes, pooling into fresh tears. "He... I can't..."

"It's OK." Leo soothed, taking her hand again. "I get it." He kissed her fingers and then her. "I'll be here, whatever you decide to do."

"Really?"

"You're stuck with me now." He smiled lopsidedly, but his heart wasn't a hundred percent behind it.

Luke- that _demon_- had gotten her pregnant.

* * *

**Not sure if this is what I had planned or not, I can't remember. What'd you think? **


	12. Pizza

**To Guest 1- Thank you for reading the old one so much! I hope you like this one just as much :D **

**To Guest 2- LEOISA in this chapter too :P **

* * *

True to his word, Leo didn't tell anyone about the latest predicament or the horrible deeds Luke enforced. He was just there whenever Louisa needed someone to turn to and, although she wouldn't admit this, she was clearly grateful to have him around.

She was still undecided what to do about the baby as of yet. Leo could tell she didn't want to face it because it was Luke's, but she absolutely _hated_ the mere thought of an abortion. There was no _way_ she would go through with that, _ever_.

So, instead, he had reinforced his offer to help look after it when the time came. "You are _not_ going through that on your own." He promised, looking her dead in the eye. "Don't you worry, chica. Leo Valdez is on the case."

"Oh, what I've always wanted." She said sarcastically. A small, amused smile danced through her eyes, a ghost of it playing across her lips. Leo didn't cheekily reprimand her for her sarcasm this time, kissing her forehead. "I want pizza."

"I thought you might." He withdrew his anti-monster cell phone from his pocket and punched in the number for her favourite takeaway pizza place. "Pineapple?"

"Ooh, no. Ham and cheese. Extra cheese." He smiled and nodded. She ate pizza as much as she ate hot dogs lately- cravings. They drove Leo mad to start off with, but he was getting the hang of it. "Actually, no. I want pineapple. Can I have half pineapple and half ham and cheese?"

"You've got it, chica." He chuckled. She beamed at him and toddled off to paint. Leo wouldn't let her do anything else, not wanting to stress her. She was restricted to her artwork and eating pizza.

The doorbell chimed fifteen minutes later.

"Pizza!" Louisa called from the spare room.

"I know, I know." Leo laughed, retrieving his wallet. She was going to skint him out with all this pizza, but he didn't mind. He was helping her and she wasn't protesting. That _had_ to be a point to him.

He checked the pizza before paying for it- she wasn't happy whenever they delivered something she hadn't ordered. "Thank you." He grinned, leaving a tip. The youngest touched his cap to Leo, an old-fashioned gesture Leo instantly decided to adopt. Maybe that would win him extra brownie points with Louisa.

"Leo!" He pulled the door open again and peered out. Percy dodged around the leaving pizza boy and grinned at Leo. "Sup, bro?"

"You alone?"

"Yeah, surprisingly. Annabeth thought it'd be a good idea to keep the boys at home rather than crowd Lou." Leo nodded in agreement. "Pizza?"

"She's hungry." Percy curiously lifted the lid and made a face.

"Must be if she's got a pizza this weird." Leo snapped the lid shut and made a face at him. Percy ruffled his hair in that annoying big brother fashion.

"Leo! Where's my pizza? I'm _hungry_!"

"I know you are!" Leo called back, smiling. He waved Percy in, kicking the door closed. "She's a bit loopy today." He warned light-heartedly.

"Pizza!" She demanded again, just as Leo and her brother appeared in the doorway. "Oy, what are you doin' here?"

"I came to see my sister. Is that such a crime?"

"It is _now_." She took her pizza and went and sat in the soft arm chair Leo had found at a yard sale and cleaned up for her. It stood comfortably in the corner of the spare room, by the radiator so she could rest her cold feet on it.

"You've been busy." Percy commented. Canvases were strewn all over the room and the walls, most painted on. She painted whatever she felt like- oceanic views, paradises, cities, everything. Percy whistled lowly, impressed. "Mind if I take some of these home?"

"Maybe." Louisa replied absent-mindedly. "I don't know if I want ya to or not." Percy looked at Leo, his eyebrows raised slightly. _I can see the loopy_, his eyes seemed to say. Leo just hunched his shoulders, smiling. It was something Percy would get used to over the next few months.

"Is everything OK?" Percy asked. Louisa shot Leo a very brief warning look.

"Fine." Leo nodded. Percy looked back at his sister, examining her curiously.

"You look different."

"It's probably all that pizza she's been eating." Leo cheekily puffed out his cheeks. Louisa lobbed a paintbrush at him, but thankfully Percy was on hand to catch it.

"Stop being mean to Leo." He scolded playfully. "He's let you live here," He smiled gratefully at Leo, "behave."

"I don't _want_ to." She armed herself with another paintbrush, but lowered it just as quickly. Her hand went to her mouth.

"Lou?" Percy took a step forward, concerned, but Leo beat him to it. He massaged her back, pulling a sick bag from his belt. "No more pizza then." Percy decided, removing the box as his sister brought everything back up. He felt her forehead when she paused, breathing heavily and raggedly. "You feel fine. Has she been sick a lot lately?" He questioned Leo.

"No." Leo lied, summoning a new sick bag. "Here, Lou, just in case." She mumbled incoherently. Percy moved closer to her, taking up his protective big brother role again, as Leo got up and carried the full sick bag away. It didn't disgust him as much as it used to, but Percy didn't like it very much.

* * *

Percy left an hour later, after making sure his sister was alright. They still didn't tell him.

"Thanks, Leo." She pulled a face at her cold pizza. "Stupid brothers. I wanted that."

"Leave it for a while, OK?"

"I'm hungry though." Leo sat next to her. "You've got that look."

"What look?"

"That one. What's wrong?" He sighed, his shoulders slouching. "Leo?"

"I think you should've told him." Instead of tearing his head off, like he expected, she looked miserable. He could tell she had wanted to tell her brother as well, but he worried enough. He had his own wife and kids to look after- Louisa didn't want to be a burden.

"I will at some point." She said quietly. "Just… not yet…" Leo took her hand, entwining their fingers.

"OK." He smiled at her. "But that makes it sound like you've… you've decided to keep it."

"I don't know what to do, Leo. I… I can't just get rid of it… that's just _wrong_. But…" Her eyes found his. "I… don't know if I can go through with it."

"You know I'm here for you, chica, whatever the weather." She smiled at him, her eyes glistening.

"I don't deserve you."

"What do you m-?" He never finished his sentence, Louisa reducing his ribs to dust in a hug. "Everyone needs a Valdez, chica." He smiled, tangling his arms around her shoulders. "Even scary ladies."

* * *

**This is mostly a filler chapter. I don't really have that many ideas lately :/ I do have a chapter pre-written for this though, but I might try and do another filler chapter first at least or time-skip… I don't know. What'd you guys think?**


	13. It's a boy!

**To Guest 1- They're around. Somewhere. I've got a chapter for this pre-written that they're in, so they're not dead or anything, don't worry :P I just forget to include them from time to time.**

**To Guest 2- I was thinking about putting that lot back in, but I haven't worked out just how yet :P Maybe I will, maybe I won't, I don't know! :D For the Haunted Mansion one, I have a few ideas, but it's not a lot to write about at the moment. I'll see what I can do all the same though :D **

**I'm REALLY sorry for not updating properly lately, I've only really had ideas for that new crossover of mine and some one-shots or future chapters- still undecided :P**

* * *

It was a boy.

They found out today. It had taken Leo four hours to persuade her to go for the afternoon appointment and, thank the gods, she relented. He was _dying_ to know what the baby was. Leo was a good name.

He bought a _huge _blue teddy bear and put it in the shotgun seat of his car while she rang Jessica. She used his phone, away from people. She still didn't know what to do, but- sometimes, when she was mucking around with Leo- the baby would come up in conversation and, to Leo, it sounded like she was going to keep it. Not that she had said that for definite or those _exact_ words- it was just the way she spoke about it.

Not it. _Him_.

Leo drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, glancing up at the rear view mirror. She was scowling at his phone, pressing the buttons irritably.

"I hate- what in the name of Poseidon is this?!"

"I couldn't resist." Leo smiled sheepishly. She threw him his phone, pulling the blue bear from the car. It came to just below her hip and it was super soft. "You like it?" She shook the toy, making its arms and legs flop around.

"Yeah." She decided, smiling. "Thanks Leo." She set the bear in the back- and strapped it in on Leo's insistence. "I'm hungry." She said, once in her seat.

"Me too. McDonalds?"

"Happy Meals?"

"Indeedy doody." She looked at him curiously, but he was already off. "Lou?"

"Mm?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"No." He shot her a sideways glare. "What?"

"Have… have you thought about… um, thought about _names_ at all?" He could feel her gaze on him, but he had to focus on the road. "I just thought that, uh, _Leo_ is a swelegant name."

"Swelegant?"

"Trying to lighten the mood here." Louisa hummed monotonously. Leo looked at her quickly, seeing that she had diverted her attention to outside. He didn't press her, allowing her to dwell in her thoughts for a good ten minutes.

"I like Bradley."

"Who?"

"The _name_. I don't know anyone called Bradley."

"I know, I'm just teasing." He grinned cheekily and she sighed, muttering something about where he could stick his teasing. "Do babies _have_ to have middle names?"

"I dunno. Do they?"

"Hey, _I'm _asking _you_. How'd you expect me to know?"

"Ditto."

"Leo's still a good name."

"Nah, that's stupid."

"Oy!" He pretended to sulk for five minutes, even though she sat and stared at him pointedly. "Ugh, _fine_. How about Johnathon?"

"But I like Bradley."

"I know, I know. But for a middle name."

"Oh. Bradley Johnathon."

"Valdez." He added quickly. Her brow furrowed.

"Smith-Jackson."

"When I get five minutes, I'm going to make you a Valdez, so _Valdez_."

"When ya get _five_ _minutes_?" Leo gave a single nod and made a noise of agreement. Five minutes was _plenty_ of time! What was she on about, silly woman.

* * *

Louisa kept stealing his fries, so he bought another set of Happy Meals, one for each of them. She ate more than ever now- not that she cared- but she only seemed to gain bits of baby weight and even then it wasn't that much. If Leo hadn't known, he would never have guessed she was pregnant.

The giant blue bear proved to be a bit of a problem when they got home, but Louisa settled that eventually- Leo would have to put up with it being in his chair.

"The toys are gettin' worse." She commented, frowning at the Happy Meal toy. "Used to be little video games 'n' stuff, all different. Now, it's certain toys at certain hours 'n' they ain't even that fun."

"Complain then."

"But that's just effort."

"Lazy moo." She made a face at him and then decided she wanted a peach. "Ya got any?"

"Do I look like someone who has fruit?"

"No…"

"We'll get you peaches tomorrow."

"But _now_."

"We just got in!" Leo protested good-naturedly. She watched him for a few seconds, chewing her lip.

"I don't want a peach now." She waved it off and went to her art room. "Have ya got any spaghetti?"

Leo sighed. That woman was Mad with a capital M.


	14. Oh no

**To Awesome as Annabeth- You like that one? You won't like this one! :D**

* * *

It was a day out. The Seven, Nico and Louisa were all relaxing at various points around the Poseidon twins' swimming pool. They keeping it private for a while- they didn't like sharing.

Tobias, now eight months old, was quite happily splashing in the shallow end, encased in one of those water rings. His parents stood either side of him, Percy kneeling in the water and splashing along with him. Annabeth was talking to Piper and Hazel, who were absolutely smitten with the infant. They wanted one, but their boyfriends had patterned up with Leo to try and drown Nico.

"Lou, come give us a hand!" Leo grinned, turning around. She was sat at the edge of the pool on the steps leading into it. She was submerged from the stomach down, legs curled up to her chest and her arms around them.

At Leo's request, she shook her head, a thick lock of ebony hair falling before her eyes. She irritably puffed it out of her face, but it only fell back seconds later.

Jason, bored with attacking Nico, tackled Leo and sent them both under. Leo, totally oblivious, ended up swallowing what felt and tasted like half the pool. Jason pulled him before he drowned completely, but chlorine was not good for his system.

"You OK?" Louisa asked, laughing softly. Leo coughed up a few gallons of water- no, he was_ not_ exaggerating- and made a face at her.

"I'll be fine." He assured, splashing Jason for good measure. "Feel sick now." Jason just smiled sweetly and went to pick on Piper.

Leo looked back at Louisa. His chica looked peaky, her eyes darting about worriedly, almost as if she was waiting for something. He waded forward to sit next to her. "Are you alright?"

"I don't know." She replied quietly.

"Do you want to go home?" She hesitated. "Lou?"

"I… I wanna go home, but…"

"But what?" Leo pressed kindly. Her eyes found his, tearing up.

"Somethin's wrong."

"What'd you mean?" She looked away. Leo followed her gaze and realised she was worried about the rest of their friends. None of them knew she was pregnant, not even Percy. He would go ballistic if he found out what Luke had done.

Leo took her hand, lowering his voice. "What's wrong, chica?"

"I can't get outta the water, Leo."

"Why?" They locked eyes again, hers silently pleading for him to understand, to not make her say it. Leo got a sneaking feeling what worried her, but didn't want to voice it out loud. Not if it came true. "What can I do?"

"I don't know." Her voice was so quiet, he barely heard her.

"Is everything alright?" Percy was working his way towards them, the others watching worriedly. Even Tobias sensed something was up as he stopped splashing and fell silent. "Lou?" Percy crouched next to her, his eyes overflowing with concern.

"I'm fine."

"No you're not." He defied instantly. She didn't meet his gaze and that's what sent his worries rocketing. She _hated_ it when he contradicted her and he would always get a 'if looks could kill' glare.

He shifted and sat next to her. "I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong."

"I'm fine, honest."

"You're lying." Percy made to continue, but saw Leo shaking his head almost warningly. Suspicion sent a chill through Percy- Leo knew. Louisa had told _him_ and not her own _brother_.

Piper gasped all of sudden. Leo gave a half-sigh, half-sob.

"Lou!" She squeaked. She, Annabeth and Hazel marched forward, Tobias floating into the care of his uncles. "You two, _away_." Piper ordered, glaring at Leo and Percy.

"But-" They started together. Annabeth frowned at the pair of them and they reluctantly moved away.

Percy smacked Leo's arm, making the smaller demigod yelp.

"You could've said!" He growled.

"She made me promise not to!"

"I'm her brother!"

"All the more reason not to tell you!" Percy was _fuming_. Leo quickly realised he stood in the pool; he was in dangerous waters, literally.

Deciding it safer not to say anything, he looked over at the women. Piper was doing her best to charmspeak Louisa out of the pool, but the daughter of Poseidon was having none of it. She was absolutely beside herself- Leo had never seen her so frightened, so traumatised, even with all the nightmares. It was like she was an entirely different person.

The water around her was already stained scarlet. Hazel and Annabeth were trying to calm her; to convince her everything would be OK, they were there to help. She just had to cooperate.

"Lou, listen to me. It'll be alright, just… just let us help you."

It took ten minutes to get anything out of Louisa; "Leo…" She whimpered, raising her head a fraction to locate him. A few minutes ago, she had started getting pains in her stomach, ones with enough force to double her over.

Percy- if possible- got angrier. Piper waved Leo over, looking anxiously at the son of Poseidon. Percy had more control over his powers, but she hadn't seen him _this_ angry.

With Leo's help, the women managed to get Louisa out of the pool and quickly to one of the shower cubicles- she wouldn't go any further without water. Annabeth returned to Percy to calm him down, but he barely listened, cleaning the blood from the water and sending it down one of the drains.

"Will you _stop_?" Annabeth demanded, grabbing him by the arm and forcefully turning him to face her. He opened his mouth to argue, but spotted something over her head. "Percy!" She tried to keep hold of him, but he was a man on a mission.

Poor Leo.

"Percy-" Leo started, holding his hands up in a feeble attempt to placate Percy. A wave slammed into Leo and knocked him flat.

"Percy!" Annabeth reprimanded. Tobias started to cry, unnerving his uncles. "Stop it!"

"_What did you do_?!" Percy raged. Leo coughed and spluttered, not answering fast enough. Percy grabbed him by the arm and yanked him to his feet harshly.

"Leave him alone!" Jason protested. He started forward, but Annabeth waved him back.

"Leo!" She called. He looked at her with terrified brown eyes, unable to pull himself free from Percy's iron grip. "He thinks it's yours!"

"Is it?!" Her husband demanded, giving the Latino a warning shake. Leo stammered and stuttered. What could he tell Percy? He had promised Louisa he wouldn't say anything without her permission, but Percy was going to _kill _him.

But something in Leo's expression must have given something away as Percy's anger increased and he let him go. Leo couldn't decide if that was a good thing or not.

"I… I wanted to tell you… she wanted to as well, but you worry too much as it is and… and…" Leo trailed off, faltering under Percy's malevolent glower. He looked down and Percy stormed off, calling for his sister.

"You OK?" Jason asked, still mad, but keeping himself in check to inspect the bruises on Leo's arm. Leo nodded mutely. "Did… did Luke… did he-?" Nico and Frank had trailed over as well, Frank handing a distraught Tobias to Annabeth. Leo stayed quiet, hoping for a poker face and not achieving it at all. "He did, didn't he?" Frank had visibly paled and looked uncomfortable. Nico and Jason, as unsettled as Frank, went after Percy with the same brotherly air of protection.

"Oooh, they're not helping." Annabeth muttered. "Stupid men." She fixed her stormy grey eyes on Leo, making him feel even smaller than usual. "I know you were helping her, Leo, but we could have helped too."

"I know. I told her that, but she didn't want everyone to know. You lot have got enough to worry about and-"

"It doesn't matter. Lou's family and she's-" Annabeth's voice caught and she looked at her mewling son. "We owe her."

* * *

**Read **_**Family Affairs**_** and **_**Papi **_**by Winekita. LOVE THEM! :D But feels! D:**


	15. Oh yay

**To musicforlife- Stubbornness runs in the family :P And of course he had! At least he didn't try to kill Leo like he did in the last one :3 **

**To Awesome as Annabeth- Told you wouldn't like that one :P I don't **_**just**_** pick on Leo- I pick on **_**all**_** of them; no favourites that way :D And those stories are really good, aren't they? I haven't read the latest update yet, but I will! **

**Sorry for not updating the last two nights. No ideas the first night and was playing Harry Potter Lego again last night- love that game! :D**

* * *

Louisa held herself together pretty well. She had point blank refused to stay in the hospital and Leo had taken her home. She was silent all the way, staring at the glove box with a glassy look in her eyes. He didn't try and talk to her. Not out of spite, just out of fear that she would start crying away from proper comfort.

She came back to him when the door to their apartment closed, starting. Her eyes locked with his in a heartbeat and it was _then_ that the waterworks started.

"I'm so sorry, Leo…" She mumbled. Leo shushed her gently, wrapping her in his arms.

"It's not your fault, chica; these things happen."

"Ya were so excited though 'n' I-" Her voice caught and any defiance keeping her upright vanished. Leo picked her up and carried her to their room, setting her on the bed.

"Let's get you sorted first, OK? No need to worry about me." He brushed her hair gently from her face, seeing her sea green eyes watching him miserably. "Hey…" He smiled weakly, pulling a tissue from his belt and wiping away the tears as best he could. "If it makes you feel any better, I've got five minutes to make you a proper Valdez now."

"Stupid Leo…" But it had worked, even if ever so slightly.

"No, I will." He promised. "I take it you won't wear a dress though?" The look she gave him was answer enough. "Didn't think so." He kissed her forehead. "You get some sleep, alright?" He started to get up, but she grabbed his wrist, fixing him in place with those eyes he loved so much. "You're _so_ persuasive."

"You're _so_ hilarious."

"Hey, sarcasm's my thing!" He protested good-naturedly, removing his tool belt. Sometimes he forgot to do that and would wake up with screwdrivers and hammers everywhere. "It'll be OK, Lou." He assured, cheekily clambering over her and settling behind her. "You've got your lovely Valdez."

"Mmm…" She hummed, turning over and using his shoulder as a pillow. Leo put his arms around her and was sure she dozed off within minutes.

* * *

When she woke up, it was in a state of panic. Leo had been blissfully asleep until she accidently clonked him on the head.

"Hey! Oh no, what-?" He sat up and grabbed her wrists. "Lou, it's me, _breathe_. Calm down."

"No!"

"You're OK, you're safe-"

"_No_!" She managed to pry one of her hands free and smacked him in the chest. "Let me go, let me _go_!"

"It's me! Leo!" That seemed to work.

"Leo…"

"Yeah, Leo." Her wild eyes found his, stricken and hurt. "Don't worry, I've got you." He consoled, slowly moving closer and hugging her. "Calm down, deep breaths." He instructed softly, elated and relieved when she obeyed. Her fingers curled into his T-shirt and she hid her face in his shoulder.

"Leo…"

"Mm-hm. You're stuck with me, you know that."

"Leo, I'm sorry…"

"It's OK, it's-"

"No…" She argued, her voice trembling. "No… ya've done everythin' ta help me 'n' I can't pay you back…"

"It doesn't matter."

"It does!" She pulled back; the wild look replaced with the usual look of defiance intermingled with grieving and angry tears. Leo wanted to tell her that her just being there with him was more than enough, but that look kept him quiet.

Then he had an idea.

"If you want to pay me back so much, let me make you a Valdez." He paused. "On Sunday."

"W-what?"

"Yes. Sunday is a good day." He continued, warming up to the idea. "I've, um, I might have sort of kind of possibly may have _booked_ it already." She blinked at him. "But don't worry, no dress. I know you hate dresses." He was still getting a stunned look and decided to prattle on instead. It was a small affair, just him, her and the priest dude. He had been meaning to surprise her on Sunday and marry her there and then on the spot, but he thought she could do with some cheering up. "Hence the sudden announcement."

"How-? Wha-? I don't-" He held up his hand, shushing her. Normally, shushing Louisa resulted with dead arms and bruises, but not this time.

"Ask me questions later. Just let me ask you something." Her brow furrowed slightly in wariness and what he prayed was hope, not fear. Whichever it was, it was a rather cute look on her- not that he'd say that aloud.

Taking her hands, Leo smiled. His heart thudded in his ears- _what if she said no_?- but he pushed that thought aside and carried on; "Will you let me make you a Valdez? For real. Not an honorary one." She opened her mouth, but Leo cut across. "And not just to pay me back. For _real_. _Only_ if you want to."

"Sunday?" She managed. He nodded, his voice suddenly betraying him. "Well, I don't know… _pretty_ booked for Sunday."

"You're not making this easy for me." He croaked. She gave a wavering, but sweet smile, her eyes hosting some of that old mischievousness.

"'N' you? Is that what ya want?"

"I've wanted to make you mine ever since I met you. And not in the creepy stalker way." He added hastily. "So…?" He pressed kindly.

"Ya really are an idiot, Valdez."

"I get told that a lot."

Louisa nodded, tears falling again. Happy ones this time, Leo noticed, as she tackled him. "That's a yes to the Valdez thing, not the idiot thing, right?" He asked, pushing her hair back from her face.

"Both." She clarified, smiling. Leo beamed at her.

"Perfect."

* * *

**Ta da! See how lovely I am? I was mean and then PROPOSAL! :D **


	16. Fire

Leo had been a happy, incredibly lucky husband with a wife still trying to kill him, (which was nothing new) for fifteen whole minutes. That had to be a record of some sort and if- no; _stay positive_- _when_ he got back, Louisa was going to _end_ him.

Mentally sighing, he pondered over how he had got captured. He wasn't entirely sure. She had gone to summon a taxi while he gathered their bags from the hotel suite. He was halfway there when there was a scuffle behind him and then _klonk_! He was out like a light. On his wedding day as well, how inconvenient.

He had woken up at some point later and found himself in a glass bubble. That was it. The oh-so-terrifying imprisonment was a giant glass bubble suspended from lots of humming technology. He could sense the mechanisms of everything about him, but there was no way he could shut it down from in here. And there was no way he could burn himself out either- he quickly discovered he had a very limited oxygen supply, just enough for him to live in minor discomfort.

The other thing was the needles.

Someone had obviously sharpened them to razor sharpness, but it was when they were roughly embedded in his arms and filled their connected tubes with his blood. That was _fun_, notice the heavy sarcasm.

Well, at first he had _thought_ it was blood, but he was pretty sure blood didn't glow orange or anything strange like that. It took him a while to figure it out-

They were taking his _fire_.

First of all, _how_?

Second, but more importantly, _why_?

* * *

Louisa was getting annoyed. _How long did it take to get some bags? _He should have waited for the taxi, like she had said, and driven back to get them, but he only had so much cab fare, apparently, and decided to be awkward.

She gave him another five minutes and then dialed his cell, grumbling about his idiocy.

"I was wondering when you would ring."

"Who's this?"

"That is for you to find out. What you should be more concerned about is your new husband inhabiting one of my… _holding cells_."

"If you hurt him-" Louisa started, fury burning through her. The man on the other end just laughed, her temper shooting up tenfold.

"I fear you not, daughter of Poseidon. Or Neptune. Whichever one you are, I, quite frankly, do not care."

"Ya should. I'm gonna find you 'n'-" But he had hung up. In her anger, she threw the phone to the floor, smashing it quite effectively. Then she realised she may need that to actually find Leo.

Cursing herself and kicking the remnants of the cell, she demanded of her father and Hephaestus where Leo was and how to get him back before some psycho _sleeze-ball_ hurt him.

_Nyssa should be able to help ye, _Hephaestus replied.

_Yes, _Poseidon agreed, _but be careful. And mind your temper, Louisa; it often leads you astray_.

Louisa tried to heed her father's advice, but she couldn't help but be angry. Leo had gone walkies fifteen minutes after somehow getting her to _marry _him, a mysterious phone call from some jumped up idiot and then the _gods_ actually deigned to help her! If wonders will ever cease!

Summoning Storm, Louisa contemplated how best to kill Leo when she found him. If only he had listened to her- stupid men and their 'I-know-what-I'm-doing' attitudes! She should just go on a rampage and wring all their necks, do the whole world a favour.

* * *

Within the hour, she was at Camp Half Blood, dropping down from Storm before the Pegasus had the chance to land. "Nyssa!" She yelled, barging in and ignoring Storm's cautious wicker. "Nyssa!" She called again with more urgency.

"What?"

"About time!" Louisa reprimanded, drawing a confused look from her new sister-in-law. "Leo's been kidnapped 'n' I need your help, according to our dads." Nyssa blinked at her. Louisa huffed irritably, casting her eyes to the heavens and deciding just to strangle everyone, job done. "We were out, he ran off ta get somethin' even though I told him ta wait for the taxi, but he knows best 'n' he's gone 'n' got himself flamin' kidnapped 'n' we need ta go 'n' get him from some weird guy that's stolen his phone."

"Right…" Louisa glowered at her, bunching her fists. "Do you know where he is, like, _at all_?"

"I- no, but-"

"Then there's no point ranting and raving at me until we figure this out." How could she be so calm?! Leo was missing!

* * *

"Helloooo?" Leo called, hitting his palms against the glass. "Anybody _not_ wanting to kill me out there?" There were dog-seal-creatures walking around- he thought they were called telekinesis or something like that, but that probably wasn't right. He wasn't even sure if they could hear him, but trying was better than sitting in silence. "I swear I didn't do anything wrong, I just got married and I really need the toilet!" One of the telekinesis creatures approached a computer panel before him, about two metres below him and his bubble. "Like, _really_ need the toilet!"

The creature at the computer desk glanced up at him. "I need the little monsters' room!" Leo told him. Her. It. Whatever- he was toilet trained now, being a big boy and everything, but _gods did he need to go._

They let him out, three telekinesis things swarming him and cuffing his hands together. They strapped on an oxygen mask as well, to keep him maintained on the limited supply. Then they frogmarched him away to a very nice bathroom. If you excused the monsters, that was.

Seven minutes later, he was back in his 'pod'.

* * *

That night, Louisa didn't sleep too well, but it helped nonetheless.

She saw Leo, in some glass bubble thing held up by a lot of technology with cables and wires running everywhere, in his regular jeans and T-shirt, but he had loads of needles connected to tubes in his arms. He didn't look comfortable and seemed exhausted, but he was keeping himself awake. There were dog-seal creatures- telkhines- crawling about, working computers and making weapons on forges while others were dragging in carts of metal scraps and glowing coals.

Louisa frowned slightly, noticing canisters close to the bubble structure. The canisters were half full of… fire. Louisa scanned everything, noticing how Leo was pale and tired, the glow gone from his skin. He always had a warm, fiery glow about him, but it was gone now. Was he weakening? Was that it?

Nothing made sense. She took in as much detail as possible, noticing a telkhine moving towards a control panel. It pressed a few buttons and electrical sparks shot down the tubes connected to the needles in Leo's arms. His body jerked and his mouth opened in a cry of pain, but she heard nothing. Louisa made to run forward, her heart wrenching at Leo in pain, but she was pulled from the nightmare, finding herself sitting bolt upright in her bed in her cabin.

Throwing back the covers, Louisa rushed out as quietly as she could, sprinting to Cabin Nine in her Power Ranger socks- Leo's present- and tumbled in, scanning the assembled bunks.

Nyssa woke up, looking sleepily and confused.

"Wh-? Lou?" She rubbed sleep from her eyes and tried to sit up straighter. "Are you OK, Lou?"

"Leo…" That got Nyssa's attention. "Leo, he-" Louisa angered again- it was considered severe bad luck to have Louisa in a bad temper nearby. Even worse when it was twice in a day- even though she was angry at everyone, she was only angry at the same person twice or more in one day in very special cases- like Leo.

"Calm down and tell me what happened." Louisa took several deep breaths and described what she had seen as best she could. Nyssa was another child of Hephaestus and would understand the technology, but Louisa wasn't like that, her knowledge of technology extending to the word 'motherboard' and annoyance at 'wires'.

Nyssa frowned. "It sounds like they're extracting his fire."

"But… what would they want with his fire? It's _his_ fire."

"I know it is. Did you see anything else?"

"There were loads of telkhines."

"Did you know where it was?" Louisa frowned slightly, straining her memory.

"It was really hot. 'N' I smelt smoke. They were workin' on forges as well 'n' bringin' in hot rocks."

"Might be a volcano."

"That narrows it down." Louisa muttered darkly. Nyssa bravely placed a cautious hand on Louisa's shoulder.

"Try and get some sleep. We _will_ figure this out," She promised, "just stay calm and-"

"No, I need ta track him."

"Get some sleep and we'll track him in the morning." Louisa shook her head, moving away. She retrieved the laptop from Nyssa's bag and sat down at the end of the bed, booting the laptop up. "Lou-" Nyssa started.

"I'm trackin' ma Valdez, shut the fuck up."

"But Lou-" Louisa sent a glare at Nyssa, warning her to shut up or _else_.

Nyssa gave a mental sigh. There was no fighting with Louisa, especially with Leo in jeopardy.

* * *

**I used some from the old story. Sorry for skipping the wedding, I know some of you guys wanted that. But I didn't want to forget my ideas so ta da! :D **


	17. Element Master

**To Awesome as Annabeth- Yes, REALLY. Ta da! :D I don't think even the gods could help me, I've tipped right into madness now :P If I'm Ferret Face, you're a grasshopper, that's only fair :3**

* * *

While Louisa was on the laptop, Nyssa dozed off. She didn't expect the nightmare.

She saw the location and technology keeping her baby half-brother imprisoned. Telkhines were prowling around, working machines and carrying medium-sized cylinder canisters with a strange, amber substance inside.

Nyssa's eyes were drawn to Leo. He was lying on his side, curled up in the base of the glass bubble, resting his head on his arm. His eyes were closed.

"Leo…" His eyes opened suddenly and he raised his head, cautious. Nyssa saw the exhaustion in his eyes, but there was a glimmer of hope.

The hope quickly died down and he was about to return to sleep. "Leo." Nyssa said again, her voice containing more urgency. Leo was alert. "Leo, we'll find you." He looked hopeful.

"What is he doing?" A deep voice boomed. Telkhines turned and faced Nyssa, but she had a feeling they weren't looking at her, their expressions terrified with their eyes wide in fear.

A giant of a man passed through her, making her feel like a ghost. The man was eight feet tall or more; so immensely muscular, it was as if he had rocks or boulders under his skin. He had crystal white hair that was short and choppy and it moved, as if disturbed by a summer breeze. He appeared to glow different colours- red, orange, yellow, green, blue and silver. He wore traditional Greek armour over a Roman toga. "What is he doing?" The man demanded, his voice growling and thundering around the hollow mountain.

"We-we're not sure, master." One of the telkhines stammered nervously. "H-he hasn't moved for hours. Maybe he sensed your presence?" The man drew a celestial bronze sica and decapitated the telkhine.

"Fool." The man growled. "You!" He jabbed the sica at another telkhine, who squeaked in fear. "Do something about this!"

"Ye-yes master." The telkhine stumbled towards the controls. Nyssa noticed the various needles and tubes in Leo's arms and was horrified when the tubes filled with a metallic silver liquid and sparked with electricity.

Nyssa was woken up by Louisa slapping her. She was grateful at the intrusion, not to witness the torture her brother was suffering from. But it still haunted her, her imagination twisting the scene she had witnessed into a demonic show, her brother suffering more than what was happening in real life.

"What happened?" Louisa demanded. Her anger blazed like a raging storm amongst the sea green Leo was known to love so much. Nyssa stammered through her nightmare, describing the man as best she could. "We have to go." She finished.

"I was about ta say the same thing." Louisa muttered. Nyssa noticed that Louisa was fully dressed and their bags were packed and by the door. "Somethin' ain't right 'bout this place. We should get goin' before shit happens."

"Right…" Nyssa got up, stumbling slightly. She was ready to go in five minutes.

* * *

"Any ideas?" Nyssa asked. The volcano Louisa had picked- Mt. Helens- was closed to tourists that day.

"Ram the gate." Louisa instructed- she would have personally, but Nyssa wasn't letting her drive in a fierce temper.

"No," Nyssa refused carefully, "if we do that, it'll alert any security."

"But Leo's in there!"

"No, we're _not _ramming the gate." Nyssa sighed and studied the gate, trying to ignore the holes Louisa's glare was searing in the side of her head. "It's electric. I might be able to hack the controls. Where's the laptop?" Louisa jerked her head, indicating the back seat. Nyssa reached back and retrieved the laptop bag.

"So, ya can hack the controls of an electric gate with a laptop." She muttered.

"Yup."

"Right."

They sat quietly for a short while. Louisa was distractedly drumming her fingers on the dashboard, occasionally throwing annoyed glances at her accomplice. After two minutes, Louisa decided that Nyssa was taking too long. "I'm gonna break it."

"No, Lou, I've got it."

"Buzzkill."

The gate beeped and opened. Nyssa passed the laptop over and floored the accelerator, mentally reciting prayers that they were right about this volcano and Leo's whereabouts. _And please, please don't let them hurt him._

They got about halfway when the engine stalled.

"I got it." Nyssa grumbled, pulling on the handbrake. They both got out, Louisa slamming the door shut and stomping to the trunk.

"Forget the car." Louisa ordered firmly, throwing open the trunk and grabbing her rucksack. Nyssa didn't dare ask what was in it, seeing as Louisa normally went into battles with just her watch. Never a shield. If you saw Louisa with a shield, there was definitely something even _she_ couldn't handle alone.

"I'm not too sure Leo would be happy with that."

"I don't care. Leo's more important 'n' we've got back-up." Nyssa peered around the car. She noticed a collection of dark blobs a few miles away and they were getting closer really quickly.

"What are they?"

"Pegasi."

"You sure?"

"My dad's Poseidon." Louisa glanced over her shoulder, smirking. "I know pegasi when I see 'em."

A Pegasus broke free from the ranks and shot ahead, tucking in its wings. Even at this distance, they could tell it lacked a rider. Louisa smiled.

Nyssa moved back. Normally, she and pegasi didn't get on overly well, seeing as she smelt of fire and metal and she wasn't as good with the creatures as the Poseidon twins were.

Louisa moved forward as the Pegasus landed. "Hey, Storm." Storm whinnied and shook her mane, unfurling her wings slightly before tucking them in neatly. "Well, that was your idea." Storm snorted. "Yeah, yeah, OK." Louisa patted the Pegasus's neck and the tension in Storm's muscles eased. The other pegasi landed, bringing with them Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Nico, Piper, Frank and Hazel.

Hazel looked round at everyone who was present and beamed.

"Leo will be so happy." She announced.

"Let's just get the idiot so I can kill him myself!" Piper drew Katropis and willed her Pegasus on, oblivious to Louisa flexing her fingers irritably.

The pegasi took them to as close to the summit as they could get. During the two minute flight, smoke had slowly started to appear from the volcano, thickening with each passing second. Louisa and Storm led the way. Percy and Annabeth were sharing Blackjack.

The demigods were dropped off ten metres below the summit, the pegasi growing wary and nervous of the smoke.

"Go back to camp." Percy told them.

"'N' help yaselfs ta the sugar cubes." Blackjack perked up, whinnied and took flight first.

They started climbing the volcano, but it was slow, dangerous work. The smoke was staring to obscure their vision and made breathing difficult, but Louisa was the most stubborn, forging ahead.

There were some near deaths and broken limbs, mainly from Frank, the clumsiest of the bunch. Percy and Jason grabbed Frank's arms and kept him between them. Hazel slipped and nearly fell, but Nyssa caught her.

Finally, they reached the top. Louisa peered down, breathing through her jumper and squinting through the smoke. She couldn't see much, the odd shadow of a figure or machines, but not a lot.

"We're gonna have to climb in."

"How?" Nyssa asked.

"What?" Frank protested at the same time. Louisa studied him for a few seconds, before turning to Nyssa.

"We can jump unless ya've got any rope in that bag of magic tricks?" Louisa asked. Nyssa searched her shoulder bag.

"I've got some, but not a lot."

"It'll do." Louisa held her hand out and Nyssa chucked her the rope. It was tightly coiled, but unravelled it was roughly twenty metres.

"That's not going to be enough." Annabeth frowned. Then she sighed. "It'll have to be. One at a time though, OK?" They all nodded. They held onto the rope at one end and helped Louisa lower herself down. Frank was last.

"OK, shouldn't it be a bit brighter for a volcano?" Hazel whispered.

"Ssh!" Louisa scolded. Hazel was instantly contrite. She and Percy whipped up miniature hurricanes that helped clear the smoke.

Hazel had to cover her mouth to stop herself crying out at the sight. They could all see the glass bubble and the technology imprisoning Leo, horrified at the needles and tubes as Nyssa and Louisa had been. Hazel looked at Louisa fearfully, but Louisa's attention was elsewhere. Not on Leo, but scanning the smoke.

"Hide." She breathed. They all scurried to obey, hearing the verging temper in her voice.

Telkhines stumbled out of the smoke, followed by the giant man Nyssa had seen in her dreams.

"Wake him up." The man snarled. A telkhine hurried over to a control panel and pressed a few buttons. Leo sat bolt upright, yelling out a cry of pain that they couldn't hear through the thick glass. "Excellent." The man strolled up to the bubble, his hands behind his back with an air of importance. "Mr. Valdez, how nice of you to join us." Leo looked confused, trying to lip-read. The man gave a half-turn and gestured. Lights flared through the smoke, illuminating a horrible sight. Leo started panicking, pressing his hands to the glass in horror.

There were more machines, seven more identical to his prison. Leo started shaking his head and the man laughed. The deep, booming laugh thundered around the volcano with chilling echoes. "One for each of your pathetic friends." Leo didn't hear the man, but he must have understood as he looked more stricken than before.

Louisa mouthed a curse, glancing at her friends.

The man turned away from Leo, deeply inhaling the smoke, closing his eyes.

A wide grin spread across his pale features and his eyes opened, momentarily glowing aqua blue. The blue faded into his normal eye colour. "It seems they're already here."

"Move!" Louisa ordered at the same time as the man instructed the telkhines to find the demigods and follow Plan A, whatever that was.

Nyssa and Louisa instantly sprinted for Leo while Percy and Jason whipped up a storm inside the volcano, Hazel creating rocky panels over the pits of lava in case the volcano decided 'too many strange things- must explode'. Frank, Nico and Annabeth were taking down telkhines.

Louisa had never seen Leo look so hopeful, his eyes shining through his exhaustion. Louisa put her hand to the glass and Leo did too. "Nyssa, how long is it gonna take?"

"Couple of minutes. Try and buy me some time."

"Right." Louisa managed to pull her gaze from Leo's and turn around to face about half a dozen telkhines wielding red-hot blades or balls of fire they had collected from forges. Louisa drew her sword, ducking a wild fireball. It rippled over the glass bubble. Leo flinched and sat back, watching the battle with wide eyes, but no noise.

Nyssa was hacking the controls, desperately trying to free her brother. There was an access code and Hephaestus-style security codes that even she couldn't hack.

Leo pulled his gaze from his violent wife and looked at his sister. Judging by the increasing look of frustration she was wearing, she couldn't crack the codes. Leo knocked on the glass, but she didn't hear him. He tried to remove the oxygen mask, but it didn't budge. Neither did the needles. He resulted in waving like crazy. Nyssa eventually looked round. Leo pointed at the control panel and held eight fingers up. She frowned, shaking her head in confusion. Leo waved his hands again, held up eight, dropped six and then held up four. She still didn't understand. Leo was trying to remember the rest of the code he had watched the telkhines put in numerous times to unlock the controls.

Eight, two, four, one, five, three, two, six.

Eventually, Nyssa understood, typing in the numbers. The controls whirred into life and she set to work, the frustration in her expression easing slightly. The needles removed themselves from Leo's arms, making his skin sting momentarily.

The next thing he knew, the glass bubble was opening beneath him like the lens on an old camera. He fell to the floor, but Louisa suddenly appeared, catching him in her arms. Leo was a bit dazed at first. "Leo?" She asked. Leo blinked a couple of times, pulling himself together and shifting his arms weakly around her in response. She half-sighed and half-laughed in relief, hugging him tightly without hurting him, her fingers curling in his hair.

"Hi." Leo mumbled.

"We'll get ya out of here, Valdez." Leo managed a nod, finding himself leaning on her more and more as the seconds passed.

"And where do you think you're going?" Louisa glanced over her shoulder and saw the giant man that had ordered the telkhines to attack.

"As far away from your ugly mug as possible." Nyssa turned up and took Leo from Louisa. He seemed pale and shaky, his wide eyes fixed on the floor. Nyssa took her brother to a safe distance.

"Leaving without your friends?" The man gestured.

The others had been caught and imprisoned in the other glass bubbles. Louisa didn't understand _how_ they had been caught. "You are confused. That's interesting." The man chuckled. "I am a thing of surprises, Mrs Valdez." She fixed him with a death glare.

"Wait, what?" Nyssa did a double-take. Leo mumbled something to her, smiling mischievously through his tiredness.

"Let 'em go!"

"Or what?" The man taunted. "I've heard stories about you: the only demigod to be born of Greek and Roman heritage, a child of the seas and _unbeatable_, so I've heard." He looked at her casually. "I think you're acts of supposed _bravery,_" He marked air-quotes, "are just child's play."

"Child's play." Louisa repeated, a hint of impending danger in her tone. She ditched her sword and drew two hunting knives instead. "Funny ya know who I am, but I don't know shit 'bout you."

"Oh, silly me. I should have introduced myself earlier." The man gave a mock bow. "I am the Element Master." Louisa found herself cracking up with laughter. "You find my name amusing?"

"That's a crap name."

"And you can do better?"

"Heck, anythin' you can do, I can do better." Louisa smirked.

"Is that so?" The Element Master gave a laugh. "I think I've just found your fatal flaw."

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**Mostly from the old chapters- unfortunately, I had to take out Batman the toaster dog, but I **_**did **_**keep the Seven and Nico being imprisoned, because I'm that lovely and it was already typed up somewhere for me :P **


	18. Stupid Element Master, you gon' down!

**To spiesareawesome- Batman the Toaster Dog was from the original Leo's Settled Down- he was just something random I added in, I wouldn't worry about it too much :P**

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Louisa summoned her bow and loaded it, aiming at the Element Master (she still couldn't get over that name). He watched her calmly and casually, his eyes glinting in amusement while his hands rested behind his back, the air of a dictator clinging to him. Louisa _hated_ people like him.

She fired, the arrow exploding into a billowing cloud of smoke. She ran straight for where he had been, drawing a knife and holding her bow ready to whack someone with it.

Slashing at the spot he had been in, she nearly stumbled.

OK, so maybe he was a bit of a ninja… that didn't mean she wouldn't kick his ass for taking her Valdez and her friends.

"Can't find me? Tsk, such a shame." He appeared out of nowhere, the smoke adhering to him in an almost desperate fashion. Louisa braced herself, her bow at her side and her knife at the ready, point to the floor. He gave a mocking laugh. "Oh, you are definitely entertaining, I'll give you that." He was trying to trigger her temper- the git! Louisa made a mental note to thank Jessica for the countless anger management lessons.

He drew back a fist and took a well-placed swing at her. She ducked forward and buried her knife in his thigh. He tried to grab her, but she spun out of the way and swung her bow up, slamming it into his face.

Louisa darted out of range, loading and aiming at him. The smoke had pretty much cleared now.

She was a bit unnerved for him to casually pull the knife from his leg. It didn't bleed, but flickered with fire and healed. Glancing at the blade, she saw it was red hot. That wasn't good.

He smirked at her horror at the fiery blade. "You can thank your husband for this." He held the tip of the knife between his first two fingers, bringing his arm round and freeing it in her direction. She fired her arrow and knocked the knife from the air with her bow. Its heat seared across her fingers, making her wince.

Her arrow struck the ground at his feet and let out an ear damning shriek. He covered his ears and staggered away, grimacing and doubling over in pain. She pounced, bringing her bow down on the back of his head, the crack of metal on bone making her stomach churn. It didn't help that a scalding blade brought back _those_ memories…

Despite the mighty whack to the head- something that should have knocked him out- he was laughing. "There's the fiery warrior I wanted." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a simple remote control with one, big red button on it. "Do you know what this is?" He asked calmly. He motioned at her trapped friends and family. "One press of this button and all their powers will be mine. The smarts and wisdom of Athena, the power of Poseidon, shadow control and precious metals of Hades, charmspeak of Aphrodite. And don't forget fire of Hephaestus." He laughed triumphantly and mockingly again. "I couldn't ask for a better collection of demigods, thank you."

"Hey, if I pulled this out, would it break?" The Element Master spun round.

In her Master Assassin robes- the purple, black and blue ones **(from End of the World story)** - was Lucy-Jo. She was quite happily digging her knife into a control panel and ripping sections of it up. She had a handful of wires and was ready to pull them out.

"Don't be stupid, mortal."

"She doesn't like it if you call her stupid." Joel and Neville strolled out of the shadows, both of them armed with normal hunting knives and in casual street clothes, unlike their friend.

Joel turned to Lucy-Jo. "Break stuff, L.J, _break stuff_."

"With pleasure…" Lucy-Jo smirked, ripping the wires out. Hazel tumbled out of her imprisonment. "Oh, Lou, kick his ass for me. I'll join in later; I've got stuff to break."

"Not all of it, L.J. We want to study it." Joel and Neville hurried forward and managed to save a control panel before she ripped it up. Louisa turned back to the Element Master just as he spun to face her, drawing his sica. She was pleased to see his was angry. Lucy-Jo had a thing for ticking people off- that's why Louisa had become friends with her in the first place.

The Element Master charged Louisa, holding his sword in both hands to the right of his head. He gave an angered battle cry. Louisa dodged the first swing and kicked him in his stomach. He doubled up, winded and she jumped up, sitting on his back. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she flipped them over, doing a handstand and smashing his head onto the floor.

His grip slackened on his blade. She twisted and was on her feet, kicking his weapon away and leaving him defenceless and dazed with a possible concussion. _Now _a whack to the head worked! Typical male, always messing things up… **(not entirely being sexist, but gods, some men are just stupid… :P )**

Grabbing him by his hair, she forced him to sit up, slinging her bow over her shoulders. She drew an arrow and pressed the poisoned tip to his throat.

"I honestly was expecting more of a challenge." He grabbed her forearm and his hand flared to white-hot in a second. Crying out, Louisa snatched her arm away. She freed her bow, gritting her teeth against the pain. She shot the poisoned arrow at his chest, but he merely snatched it from thin air.

He rose slowly, snapping the arrow in half and chucking the pieces to either side.

"Hey, Lou, what about that team-up we talked about ages ago?" Lucy-Jo called.

"Go for it." Louisa replied, gingerly checking the burn on her arm. A blur of silver flashed past her head and embedded itself in the Element Master's left eye. He roared in pain, but it also caused a ring of white-hot flames to explode out of him. Everyone out of the glass bubbles hit the dirt, the flames accompanied by a thick _whoosh_ of scorching air.

"OK, try not to do that again." Joel told his friends.

"Yeah, right, I got it." Lucy-Jo grumbled. "I half-blinded him though- I've gotta get credit for that."

"You half-blinded him and nearly had us _roasted_ as a resulting factor."

"Neville, we talked about ya usin' nerdy phrases, remember?"

"Shut up and go and do your goddamn job." Lucy-Jo smiled and literally bounced to Louisa's side.

"Are all you Assassins this happy with ya job?"

"You be an Assassin for most of ya life 'n' ya pick up a strange sense of humour."

"I've noticed." They looked at the Element Master as he pulled the knife free from his eye and he gave another thunderous bellow of pain. Blood and other aqueous liquid flowed from the empty eye socket.

Louisa quickly freed and loaded her bow, firing. The arrow landed square in his other eye and he screamed again.

"Always go for the eyes- it'll either be a quick kill-shot or a kill-shot in the long run." Lucy-Jo advised.

"I've been told not to get Assassin trainin' off ya."

"Well, that's a shame- you'd make a great Assassin."

"Thank you."

"Oooh no, don't encourage her."

"Hazel Where've ya been hidin'?" Hazel cast her eyes to the heavens, before pointing in an almost lecturing fashion at Louisa.

"I was trying to get a weapon from those idiots," She jerked her thumb over her shoulder at a dozen or so yellow dust piles, "and you don't need violent encouragement!"

"I don't see the harm in it." Lucy-Jo muttered. Hazel frowned at the Assassin, but didn't say anything. She had heard of Lucy-Jo and the stories never sat well with her.

Together, the two demigods and the Assassin ran at the eyeless man. He could hear their approaching footsteps and pressed the button.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lucy-Jo noticed the other six trapped demigods crying in pain in their bubbles, no sound reaching those outside.

The Element Master got to his feet with strength he didn't have. He had a rainbow glow about him- green, silver, blue, black, orange and so many other colours; all blending and swirling together.

He threw out his hand and the ground around Hazel fell away, leaving her on a rocky podium with a wide moat with a long drop to the lava far down.

Throwing out his other hand, skeletons dug themselves out of the solid rock. All of them had bones at odd angles and Louisa realised they could be fallen hikers. She stabbed a skeleton through the head when it got in the way and carried on running at the Element Master.

He sensed her presence and clapped. A hurricane whipped up around her, drawing the air from her lungs. She slowed and stumbled, falling to her knees as she struggled to breathe.

Lucy-Jo was having more trouble. See, people went down a lot easier than skeletons and these things refused to die. Being an Assassin, it was highly annoying to not have victims die on you when they were decapitated or had their limbs ripped off.

Something grabbed the back of her robes and she was being dragged back. Somebody shouted her name. A few seconds later, the force pulling her was gone and replaced with Joel. He looked concerned, holding his knife at the ready.

Louisa closed her eyes as she felt unconsciousness tugging at her mind. Raising her hand shakily, she prayed to her father.

The hurricane dissipated and slammed into the Element Master, sending him flying a good few metres.

"Lou?" Somebody asked weakly. Louisa glanced round and saw Leo stumbling towards her. She drew a sharp and ragged breath, watching him approach with hesitant and dizzy steps. Eventually her head cleared and she got up, catching Leo as his knees gave way. Nyssa was a few steps behind, punching a telkhine in the face.

"Leo, come on." Nyssa put a sisterly arm around him and helped keep him on his feet.

"But I want to help Lou…" He protested feebly.

"It's a miracle you got over here without collapsing." Nyssa smiled kindly. "Come on." She insisted. Leo reluctantly followed, leaning on his sister heavily.

Louisa turned back to find the Element Master a few metres away.

"I may not see you, but I will find you." Louisa loaded her bow.

"Ya said you found my fatal flaw, but ya ain't done nothin' ta use that to your advantage. You ain't nothin' without their powers." As if on cue, Neville threw a switch and the other demigods were free. Telkhines scattered as Percy whipped up a hurricane and sent it after them. "Should you ever recover, remember ta _never_ pick on me or my family." She fired. The arrow whistled through the air and landed with a resounding thud in his chest. An electric pulse coursed through his body, pure lightning unleashed. Jason backed it up, bringing down his own lightning bolt.

Louisa kicked the body for good measure as soon as it had keeled over. The man gave a last whimper of pain and was still. She almost thought _that was easy_ and then reprimanded herself for such- _never_ say anything to tempt the Fates.

* * *

**I'll have to think what to do next- should I do a time-skip and bring Elsie in or do you want some Leoisa chapters? :D **

**For those who read **_**First Crisis**_**, I've put up a sequel to it- **_**Second Crisis**_** (creative, I know, shush). It's not much at the moment, but could you check it out please? :D **

**And to those who have asked me to read their fanfics for a while- remind me who you are and I'll write down your names in my notebook so I don't forget :P **


	19. Little bit of Leoisa

**To spiesareawesome- how dare he forget cheese! :P **

**I will try and reply to reviews tomorrow, I've been a bit busy :/**

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"_Why_ did ya have to go 'n' get _kidnapped_?!" Louisa glared at him sidelong. "'N' what have ya been _eatin'_? You _lump_."

"Hey, you _did_ say in sickness and in health, remember?" He teased feebly. Louisa unceremoniously dumped him on the sofa and dusted her hands down on her shirt. "I feel the love."

"Should I have left ya in the volcano?" Her tone was light, but somewhat patronizing and very ready to hurt him if he so much as think about thinking about moving from this very spot.

"It was a lot warmer than this." Leo muttered, folding his arms across his chest and getting comfortable. "But I could do without the needles; I swear some dug into my bones." She made a face and turned away. "Chica?"

"No." She waved him away. "You're _grounded_."

"Oh."

"That means ya can't talk either." She fixed him with a steely glare over her shoulder. Leo gave a timid smile. "You. Are. _Grounded._"

"Yes ma'am." She clenched her jaw irritably and stalked off to the box room. Leo, feeling a little light-headed, moved the cushions about and lay down, closing his eyes. He had slept a bit on the flight home, but pegasi weren't overly comfortable. And, although Louisa had been warm, he was- for the first time _ever_- cold. He missed his central heating system.

A fleecy blanket covered him suddenly and he blearily opened his eyes. Louisa was frowning down at him for a brief second and then vanished again. He heard her clattering about the kitchen seconds later and then she returned with a bowl of ambrosia.

"You're an idiot."

"I'm a _Valdez_. There is a very- I'll shut up." She sighed, stirring the ambrosia and then spoon-feeding him. Only Nyssa knew they were married, but she had stayed quiet- rather reluctantly. She had a nice juicy bit of gossip that _Piper_ didn't know and she wasn't allowed to share! As far as she was concerned, that was completely unfair. Louisa had claimed it was completely unfair to have a knife in your eye, but hey! _"What do I know?" She smiled sweetly, flicking a speck of dirt from her knife_.

Leo studied her curiously as she dutifully fed him the godly food. It tasted like the chocolate cake his mother had always made for him on his birthday; so nice, Willy Wonka would be jealous. "You're not mad at me, are you?"

"What a stupid question." She murmured, more to herself than him. "I'm _always_ mad at ya," She elaborated, "you should know that by now."

"Sorry about having to cancel the honeymoon."

"It's not cancelled, I rescheduled it."

"Really?" Leo brightened, sitting up a little straighter. "For when?"

"Next month. So, ya had better have ya ass in gear by then or I'm goin' without ya."

"Um… it's a _honeymoon_. You know, for the happy _couple_."

"I ain't particularly happy with you, gettin' kidnapped 'n' all."

"Oh, my _deepest_ apologies, my dear chica." He sank back against the cushions. "I'll remember to book my next kidnapping for a time better suited to you." She nodded absent-mindedly and then it seemed to click. She spoon-fed him a little harshly after that, seemingly intent on ramming the spoon down his throat and choking him. Leo apologised hastily and she calmed a fraction- just enough _not_ to kill him at that time.

When he had eaten enough ambrosia to stop his head spinning and feel remotely like himself, she tucked the blanket about him and told him to get some sleep. He was more than happy to obey, dozing off within seconds.

Louisa ate the last of the ambrosia, washed the bowl and then took up a seat in the armchair, making sure he wasn't _kidnapped _again. He was such an idiot sometimes, it was a miracle he had gotten _anywhere_ on his own.

He sighed in his sleep, mumbling in Spanish and swatting weakly at something before his face. "Mmm…" He hummed, cuddling a stray cushion. "Chica…"

"Idiot…" An IM flashed to life in front of her, displaying Nyssa.

"Explain, _sister-in-law_. Right now."

"I don't have ta explain anythin' ta ya."

"Oh, yeah?" Nyssa suddenly looked very smug. "I wonder how Piper will react to hear what I have to say. Or- better yet- _Percy_…" Louisa pointed at the IM and a storm cloud boomed to life over Nyssa's head, hammering down sheets of ice-cold water. Nyssa scrambled away, but the cloud danced around, following her. "OK, OK! I won't say anything!"

"Swear it."

"I _really_ wonder what Leo sees in you sometimes."

"Swear. It." Louisa growled. Thunder crackled so loudly, Nyssa trembled from the sheer force of it.

"OK, I swear it on the Styx!" Another clap of thunder, but more distant. The storm cloud vanished, leaving its victim sopping wet and shivering. "You're evil."

"Thank you." Louisa smiled sweetly, her eyes gleaming with her well-acknowledged trait. "Anythin' else?"

"Is Leo OK?"

"Sleepin'. He had ambrosia, but…" She shook her head. "No fire."

"I've asked around. As it's a gift from a god _and_ in his genetics, it should regenerate."

"Should?"

"Well, demigods are tricky business. You know that more than anyone else, little miss trouble-maker." Louisa slouched in her seat, rubbing weariness from her eyes. "No more than a few weeks and he should be up and about and… Leo again, gods help us." Nyssa frowned at her. "You look beat. Get some sleep and we'll talk later, OK?" Louisa just nodded. Nyssa disconnected, giving a final wave. Louisa drifted into sleep a minute later, Leo hugging his cushion the last thing she saw.

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**Sorry, there was going to be more to this, but I can't think straight today. It's gone from eight o'clock in the morning to quarter to nine to half one and now it's eight and I can't quite work out what I've done today. **


End file.
